Adaptive Gardens primarily focuses on engaging High School aged young adults with special needs in horticultural therapy activities. We have built an adaptive garden setting and a small scale farm to meet the needs of this population. In this setting, we can provide the greatest diversity of possible activities, and the ability to see the fruits of labor. We offer opportunities to engage various talents and skill levels through a divers range of activities. As the seasons change, so do the activities on the farm…repeat visitors find each visit new and exciting. Our programs are:
High School Horticultural Therapy Program
Special Needs classes are invited to participate in recreational horticultural classes on a working organic farm.
The program is supervised by a horticultural therapist with a Master’s Degree in Horticulture, a current South Carolina teaching credential, and AHTA acredidation. Our therapist and other instructors work with the teachers to help create activities that will challenge the students, meet IEP requirements, and make horticultural a fun and enjoyable hobby that the students can call their own and share with their care providers for years to come.
Students involved in the program are responsible for growing a portion of the herbs, vegetables, and flowers sold by Our Local Foods, LLC.
If interested, please contact Catherine McGuinn at catherine@adaptivegardens.org and arrange a tour of the facilities before scheduling your class’s horticultural therapy program.
Calendar Page – Coming Soon
Click here for a download-able release form
Field Trip Fridays
An educational opportunity for local school aged children offered on Thornhill Farm in McClellanville, South Carolina.
We have created several Field Trip Curriculum Topics so that your group can choose a specific topic to focus on during your morning at the farm. Your group can choose from:
- Plant Parts and Basic Botany
- Bugs and Their Role in Plant Propagation,
- Topic of the day – Catherine and team focus on the Field Trip on an activity that is current in the garden (e.g. planting, harvesting, etc.)
All of the available topics meet South Carolina Educational Standards and can be adapted for any age group and ability. In addition to meeting educational standards, our curriculum topics are supervised by a horticultural therapist with a Master’s Degree in Horticulture, current South Carolina teaching credential, and AHTA (American Horticultural Therapy Association) certification.
Each Field Trip Friday program lasts from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and consists of a tour of the farm, meeting the farmers, a class about the chosen topic, related games, a take-home craft project and lunch on the farm before returning to school. An optional element to the program is a worm box to take back to the school to improve the compost for your school or class garden.
Each field trip group is limited to one class of approximately 25 to 30 students and costs $10 per student (all ages welcome).
For more information about each of the Field Trip Curriculum Topics and to schedule your class for a Field Trip Friday, please contact Catherine McGuinn at catherine@adaptivegardens.org. We encourage signing up for the full series of Field Trip Curriculum Topics to enable students to get the most out of the experience.
Working Visits
Each Monday -Thursday afternoon from 12 – 2 pm the farm is open to volunteers from the community, including members of the special needs community and their care providers. Catherine McGuinn provides instruction and supervision for activities found on the daily job board. This is an opportunity to help with our projects without making a long term commitment.
