Zelienople, Pennsylvania
August 29, 2017
Our group was welcomed by Julie, the
director, to this experiential therapy facility for children who have not been
able to be schooled in a regular school setting. Student’s ages 8-18 years with
mental and/or physical challenges are drawn from areas as much as a two-hour
bus rides away. An extensive
horticultural program has been part of the therapy for seven years and is
directed by Joanie who showed us the wide range of activities and learning
opportunities. The students not only plant seeds, seedlings, harvest, cook, and
sell the products of their labor, but learn about their uses and their life
cycles. The hope is that the students not only receive therapy, but can develop
job skills, personal direction, ways of leveling and controlling their
emotions, and have academic learning here and in other parts of the facility.
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| Julie the director |
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| Jennie horticulturist herb bed |
Jennie gave us a tour of the herb and
vegetable gardens and encouraged us to smell and taste the wide variety of
herbs such as lavender and parsley and the many types of thyme. The healthy tomato plants were covered in
tomatoes and the bean plants were still producing green beans. Members enjoyed tasting the delicious
thorn-less red raspberries.
We also strolled around the raised bed
flower gardens which were filled with zinnias, sunflowers, huge magenta
cockscomb and cardinal vine --- just to name a few!
Types of gardens at center: Herbs, greenhouse, indoor/outdoor bee
hive, vegetable, aroma, flower, fruit, flowers
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| Bee hive |
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| Claudia with plant roof |
Calendar:
·
September
26th – “What
To Do With That Orchid You Just Bought” by Nancy Kline.
$15
Dues are due. Please submit changes to personal information in the directory.
·
October
24th –
“Herbs” by Andrea Jackson.
·
November
– NO MEETING
·
December
tour & lunch –
TBD
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