“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” ― Kurt Vonnegut
Cumberland Youth Development Center
Our first trauma-focused garden is scheduled to be installed during the summer of 2019 at Cumberland Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Fayetteville, NC. We hope that these gardens will become valuable resources across the States and internationally.
“The success of this project is that everyone has a valuable part to play. These gardens are being built by the community for the community. They are owned by the community and valued by the community. The aim is to celebrate everyone involved every step of the way. Life is about celebrating the little things which, when gathered together, become the most valuable things – they are the essence of what creates shared happiness.” – Natasha Donnelly
The Beginning of our first Trauma-focused Therapeutic Garden in North Carolina
Whilst working in psychiatric settings, our organization President, Natasha Donnelly was aware that initiating communication about sensitive topics could be difficult. “I began to use color-coded floor markings with young people so that they could stand on a color to represent how they were feeling without having to verbalize this to staff. Alternative ways to communicate, walking outside, listening to music and other strategies were beneficial to distressed young people. I realized that it was essential to create opportunities to allow for healthy conversations. Discussing garden life would be a way for staff, students/ patients to share stories about a shared area of interest.”
NC State University Student Provides Garden Drawing
Natasha continued researching therapeutic and sensory gardens and contacted a design student Ben Markoch at NC State University with her suggestions of developing these strategies into a garden design. “I wanted to be able to visualize and share the concept of a pacing pathway, colored mood space’s, area’s to allow for creativity including art walls, a water feature, poetry space, group space, and sensory plants. Ben’s wonderful drawing gave me a starting place to share the concept.”
Introducing A Water Element
Reflections on what she had observed in actual settings continued to grow the ideas to incorporate into the design. For example, one young adult had been washing his hands for long periods of time and visited the water fountain regularly. “He was staring at the water and I spoke to him about this. He described that he liked the look of the water because it was sparkly and beautiful, a rare thing in a grey building.”
Future students and staff at Juvenile Justice were also interested in water. Water and water representation became therapeutically significant for the garden design. Natasha later developed this into an area on the pathway called the “Luke’s Leap of Faith” which involved stepping stones over a river effect. A student or member of staff could decide whether they were ready to take a “leap of faith” as they walk around the pathway. “The concept is that this is the peoples garden designed around idea’s that are shared and impactful to the population.” (Please note the story behind “Luke’s Leap of Faith” will be shared in a later interview with Betsy Rhodes, Area Director of the NC Chapter of the AFSP).
Working together was leading to an exciting positive social change.
The process of research and design idea’s continued and then in 2017, Natasha contacted the Departmental Head of Horticulture at NC State University. Natasha was now working a Juvenile Justice and thought it would be an amazing opportunity for Juvenile Justice students and staff to work with NC State faculty and students to assist with implementing the design and build of the gardens. This led to Natasha meeting Anne Spafford a faculty member and Horticultural design expert at NC State University.
Juvenile Justice Students and NC State University Students
This was a wonderful connection that led to growing the initiative and involving both Juvenile Justice students and NC State Students to grow the initial ideas into a superbly designed fully interactive outdoor space. “This is now truly a unique garden developed to encourage personal growth, recovery, vocational skills and creativity.” NC State students presented their designs to leaders of the Department of Public Safety, representatives for other governmental agencies including Jane Miller, Public Health Consultant (now on the garden planning committee), non-profits and importantly it was broadcast live via webcam so that the students in the JJ centers could see the designs and their influence on the process. “Juvenile Justice students could be heard cheering when they saw their idea’s being shared by the NC State Students.”
Art Expression in the Garden Fundraiser
The design process led to statewide interest and media excitement culminating in a garden fundraiser last year called “Art Expression in the Garden” at the beautiful JC Raulston Arboretum. Performers including 2 of the Carolina Ballet’s Principal dancers, ballet dancers from Sarasota Ballet, Washington Ballet and International Ballet Academy, NC Opera Singer Lora Fabio, Artist Sonja Simone, Project runway designer Justin LeBlanc led fashion show with Art to Wear, NYC and local models, Sonny4Miles Band, Authoring Action and many other amazing artists and community activists including Imurj , Jane and Mark Miller, Anna Campbell , MaryAnn Tormey, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, NAMI, Baptist Home for Children, Juvenile Justice staff, NC State students and faculty, First Lady of NC, NPR and local news all joined forces to promote the Juvenile Justice Gardens.
Community Partnerships
On hearing the interview on NPR Radio and seeing the CBS news coverage about the fundraiser Ed Schultheis, landscape expert, and owner of ThruPutNow, came forward and joined Anne and Natasha to continue moving this exciting project forward. The process now has culminated into a statewide collaboration of ideas including the Juvenile Justice students, Juvenile Justice staff, the students Natasha worked within Psychiatric settings, mental health charities, State organisations and the amazing new designs produced by Anne Spafford and the NC State students.
The collaborative designs incorporate the early concepts that Natasha had researched and developed. This includes the pacing pathways, colored mood expression spaces, as well as amazing plants, yoga, and counseling areas, a new basketball court, art walls and much more. Natasha is developing a handbook to introduce each section of the garden and how it can be used therapeutically and evaluation tools to monitor outcomes. “I am particularly excited that this will introduce a shared interest for both students and staff in the Juvenile Justice settings and initiate ongoing healthy conversations. Good communication is key to recovery.”
Join Us
We welcome you to join us as a volunteer or donor. Everyone is welcome.
Photo credit: Daniela Turcanu
TFTC Gardens© 