About

About ThorpeWood

ThorpeWood is a 156 acre mountain property, nestled 1500 feet high in the Catoctin Mountains near Thurmont, Maryland. Our beautiful setting of forests, fields, spring-fed ponds, and native trout streams provides a safe place for our community to heal and grow.

Through this property and our farm animals, ThorpeWood nurtures therapeutic relationships with our natural world to promote empathy, wonder, and restoration. In pursuit of this mission, we deliver free nature and animal based programming and share our property with local nonprofits and educational groups, with a special emphasis on underserved populations.

Through our free programs, we serve a variety of populations in need: financially disadvantaged youth, folks who are grieving, children whose families have been affected by addiction and incarceration, educational groups, teens with mental and emotional disabilities, school staff and nonprofit workers who are battling stress and burnout, and many more. In addition to our free programs, we provide free and affordable community events open to the public to foster a welcoming community of neighbors and friends.

Our Staff

Kaili van Waveren

Executive Director

Originally from California, Kaili first moved to Maryland to attend The Johns Hopkins University. She has lived in Frederick County for the past decade and received a Master’s degree in thanatology from Hood College, where she later taught in the Department of Psychology and Counseling. Kaili has years of experience in end-of-life care and grief counseling, and it is through her role running Camp Jamie – Frederick Health Hospice’s camp for grieving children and adolescents –  that she first fell in love with ThorpeWood.

Being a part of the ThorpeWood team is truly a dream come true for Kaili as she gets to work at one of her favorite places in the world and to combine the things about which she is most passionate: mental health, nature, and serving her community. Outside of work, you might find her backpacking with her husband, Colin, daughter, Harriet, and “trail dog,” Bonny; or with the Umbrella Project: Hiking Journeys for Grieving Young Adults, for whom she is a trip leader and member of the Board of Directors.

Certifications and training include: grief counseling, compassion fatigue, trauma, mindfulness, wilderness first aid, mental health first aid, mindfulness-based ecotherapy.

[email protected]

Tim Voigt

Nonprofit Coordinator

Tim joined the ThorpeWood staff in May of 2023 after 19 years of working as an Operations Manager of a computer distribution company in Frederick, MD. He has been calling ThorpeWood his “home away from home” ever since he and his wife were married here back in 2012. It has been his dream to work for ThorpeWood and 11 years later, that dream came true.

In addition to coordinating the nonprofit events, Tim helps maintain the beautiful 156 acre property, lends an extra hand during programs when needed, and loves spending time with the animals (especially the goats).

Although the whole property is therapeutic to him, the pond is his favorite location at ThorpeWood. The calm water, lush foliage, and wildlife mulling around the pond quiets his mind and gives him peace. He enjoys sharing his love of Thorpewood with all who are willing to be swept up into its magic and picturesque landscape.

Off the farm, Tim lives in Thurmont with his wife, Kristi and their two dogs, Sam and Arlo. In Tim’s free time, he loves going on hikes with his family, going to fall artisan festivals, and loves to play disc golf! He helps maintain the local courses so others can enjoy the sport as much as he does.

[email protected]

Jeff Isaac

Property and Facilities Manager

Jeff is a graduate from University of Pittsburgh Johnstown with a degree in Marketing Management. He started working at ThorpeWood in March 2019 as Assistant Property Manager, and within a few months, he was promoted to Property Manager. Prior to ThorpeWood, Jeff worked in the pool industry for twenty years. He’s enjoying the change of scenery, the various job responsibilities, and the challenges that come with maintaining a 155-acre farm. In addition to his job as Property Manager, Jeff assists the other programs on the farm as needed. Working at ThorpeWood has been, and continues to be, an amazing learning experience!

Jeff and his wife, Katie, got married at Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood in October 2016. They have a son, Luke, who was born in 2018. In his free time, Jeff enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, playing hockey, watching sports (Go Nats!), and playing numerous musical instruments.

[email protected] | 301.271.2823 x102

Clare Hardin

Community Liaison |  Barn Manager

Clare graduated from Warren Wilson College with a major in Social Work and a minor in Expressive Art Therapies. She has a passion for helping underserved populations and cares deeply for the interconnected web of life that surrounds us. Clare stumbled upon ThorpeWood as a facilitator for Camp Journey, a program for youth with mental health diagnoses that participates in ThorpeWood programming, and liked it so much that she relentlessly volunteered with them until they gave in and hired her.

Clare feels at home surrounded by ThorpeWood’s beautiful animals and landscapes through which she can learn more about herself and the world around her. She especially finds fulfillment in being able to share that experience with those who visit the farm and in fostering relationships between people and animals. Outside of work, Clare enjoys taking care of her many plants, doing yoga, reading underrated YA novels, and cuddling with her cat, Simba.

[email protected] | 301.271.2823 x105

Directions

12805-A Mink Farm Road • Thurmont, MD 21788–1402

301.271.2823 • [email protected]

ThorpeWood is nestled in a rocky and heavily forested stream valley, 1,500 feet up in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland. It is only an hour and fifteen minutes away from Washington and Baltimore, yet offers seclusion and a sense of remoteness.

GPS WARNING: The default routes suggested by GPS navigation apps are neither the safest nor easiest ways to get to ThorpeWood. We strongly suggest you follow our detailed directions below. If you do choose to follow your GPS, for your safety please ignore any instruction to make a U-turn from US15 northbound to US15 southbound. Instead, just continue heading north for 3–5 miles. Your GPS will recalculate and direct you to Route 77, a much safer and easier choice.


Driving Directions

Download a customized printable map and directions from your area:


Support ThorpeWood

Thank you for your charitable contribution to the Merle Thorpe, Jr. Charitable Trust (MTCT), owner of ThorpeWood, LLC. 100% of your contribution to MTCT will go to directly to ThorpeWood LLC in support of its mission to nurture therapeutic relationships with our natural world promoting empathy, wonder, and restoration.

The Merle Thorpe, Jr. Charitable Trust (MTCT) is a private non-profit foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization and all contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Please consider supporting ThorpeWood through your contribution to MTCT with a gift of $25, $50, $100, $500, $1,000, or other amount. We greatly appreciate your support!

Note: Please ask if your company matches employee giving to non-profits. Thank you so very much!  


Print a contribution form to mail with a check:

We also accept online contributions made with Visa, Master Card, or via PayPal:


A copy of the current financial statement for the Merle Thorpe, Jr. Charitable Trust is available by writing ThorpeWood, 12805-A Mink Farm Road, Thurmont, MD 21788, or by calling (301) 271-2823. Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are also available for the cost of postage and copies from the Maryland Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401, (410) 974-5534.