Spring Break is always fun at the farm – so many folks come to us when out of school!
On April 10th, Potomac Case Management Service’s Youth Diversion Program made its way to the farm for some outdoor programming. This program is designed for youth who have gotten in trouble with the law and need positive programming to get set back on the right track. There were four participants who came to experience a hike, lunch in the pavilion, animal time, and gardening. It was lovely to host them and we hope to have everyone back again soon!
On the 12th, we were delighted to host Head Start Family Day at the farm. This is a tradition at ThorpeWood that we enjoy tremendously. We had about 70 folks in attendance who came to enjoy the farm. We had the following stations open for them to move through at their own pace: Wagon Rides, Horse and Goats Visits, Farm Machinery Exploration, Storytime in the Tipi, Self-Led Storywalk, and Mud Kitchen. Head Start also provided lunch for the families after all the farm activities were finished.
On the 14th, Homeschoolers came out to the farm for a day of nature and animal education. There were about 40 kids, ages 2-12, in attendance, along with 22 parents. We started by splitting the group in two and heading out into the woods for some exploration and nature art. When the two groups reconvened back in the main farm area, we laid out some open farm stations and sent all the families to free-range through these activities at their own pace and preference. They had the choice between: Mud Kitchen (with Katie!), Horse Visits (With Jan and Molly!), Goat Visits (With Jordan and Clare!), Storytime in the Tipi (with Casey!), and a self-led storywalk (courtesy of the Thurmont Library!). Clearly, we brought in a lot of volunteers to support this large number of program participants! The families were also invited to bring their own picnic lunches to enjoy in the shade of the pavilion or pine trees.
On the 16th, we hosted the Frederick Steeplechasers 5k/10k trail run at the farm. There were about 150 runners in attendance. After having our ThorpeWood 5k/10k race for many years, we have opted now to instead let this organization put on the show. And my do they do it well! Michele Jacoby was wonderful to work with and created such a successful event!
Also on the 16th, Katie led a forest therapy walk for female graduate students at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. With about 13 folks joining us on the lodge side of things at 7am, we started things off with a sensory awakening meditation in the moss and boulder circle. From there, we eased through the woods and down to the creek, following invitations and sharing along the way. These ladies were a delight to share early Sunday morning with!
