rob camp fuoco's sharing nature programs: a description and history

"Sharing Nature motivates people to improve their quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture."
Information on Sharing Nature Programs

Sharing Nature nurtures the qualities of good citizenship and love of nature and the environment in clients. Sharing Nature Programs seek to develop kids and adult clients by bringing them into contact with the therapeutic effects of nature and the environment.
Sharing Nature partners with organizations such as Wheeler Clinic , Community Partners in Action, Kids Clubhouse of Simsbury, YWCA Girls Leadership Program, the Stowe Center, Hill-stead Museum , Elizabeth Park , LGIA (Lake Garda Improvement Association ), Abilities Beyond Disabilities, and others to bring clients and gardens together.
Each week during the year the clients develop and/or participate in activities that cultivate good citizenship. Some of the services and projects that they accomplish are pruning, weeding , leaf raking, planting, fertilizing, maintaining specimen foliage plants to enhance the aesthetic environment of the common properties around the Lake Garda LGIA lands, the grounds of Nook Farm ( Stowe, Day and Mark Twain Houses), Hartford YWCA, and other non profit sites. Clients are also taught and practice plant recycling and environmental gardening.

Wetlands control and restoration at Lake Garda has been a new project that was started during the past two years. This project has required clients to work in the lake, clearing and controlling invasive aquatics in the Lake Garda water system. The clients also accomplished lots of new planting at the waters edge to control weed growth in these areas.

Currently, we have been exploring Mindful Ecotherapy with clients. Mindfulness is a meditative technique that originated with Buddhist monks. In recent years, mental health professionals have studied this technique as a means of relieving stress and achieving emotional wellbeing. A large body of research has also demonstrated the healing power of nature. Ecotherapy is the practice of using nature to facilitate emotional and mental health. Mindful Ecotherapy combines Mindfulness and Ecotherapy in a program to help students and practitioners achieve a less stressful and happier lifestyle. in our sharing nature groups we have been investigating : how to apply Mindfulness to your daily walk of life. We also discuss Ecotherapy and the healing power of nature, and how to integrate natural environments into your life. We conduct workshops that finish with several Mindful Ecotherapy activities on the grounds of the Beach Road Gardens.




Our three You Tube Videos (Google: rob fuoco videos sharing nature) document the overall success of this Sharing Nature initiatives and partnership programs



this group of photos is of rob fuoco's 'sharing nature' programs. 'sharing nature ' seeks to teach hands on gardening skills, and instill the values of respect and love of nature in kids and adults.

the program was founded several years ago by rob who first partnered with janina mroz rocheleau of bank of america and the hartford jaycee's. in these first projects we were able to acquire and donate several thousand dollars worth of plants to a local non profit. we also provided the labor and expertise to install these plants into the non profit's historic landscape.

the sharing nature program next partnered with the hartford ywca 'young women's leadership corps' which includes inner city junior and senior high school kids.

during following years the programs have expanded to partner with many different area organizations including: partnership with kids as young as five years old from the simsbury ' kids clubhouse'; partnership with the the wheeler clinic of plainville and 'the lighthouse' where we yearly build the kids an vegetable and flower garden and have the kids involved in our other on site programs. to begin a gardening program at the farmington -burlington lgia. this year the program expanded and partnered with kids as young as five years old from the simsbury ' kids clubhouse'. this year we also partnered with the wheeler clinic of plainville to begin a gardening program at the farmington -burlington lgia. we and i with crt's hartford aic program. 'sharing nature 'also partners with 'community partners in action, hartfords 'community renewal team , bristol aic and many other onnecticut organizations.


'sharing nature ' is most grateful to rita and manfred gruener who have worked for working tirelessly each year that the programs have been running to provide home made deserts to our volunteers and clients. we would also like to thank paul starybrat and the folks of abilities beyond disabilities, michele mullins of 'kid's clubhouse', carmen stanford and brenda munoz of ywca, paul masselli, liz ellsworth , wendy dupree,dr. sabrina , kenny of wheeler light house, jason youmel, of wheeler clinic, donna and dick fanelli, wendy klecack, sally cummings and cheryl fuentes of 'english ivy' , and elizabeth solosky, for all there valuable support for these programs.
hope you have fun viewing the photos!!
best wishes
rob


proposed board of directors:

ms. rita gruener - new hartford connecitcut - real estate, philanthropy, volunteer
extraordinaire
manfred gruener - new hartford, ct - manager trumf corp., engineer, volunteer
ms. cheryl fox - bloomfield, ct - ct state library law librarian, secretary of board
of directors ct horticulture society, officer ct daylilly society, designer and
owner national garden conservancy garden,
professor phillip duville,phd - bloomfield , ct - chemistry professor,
jerry foote chichester - farmington,ct and vermont - investment manager,
entrepreneur
adriana del pra chichester - farmington, ct and buenos aires argentina , music
librarian city of hartford,
john waddams - west hartford ,ct - exec directo wood memorial; director ct
opera association
iris van rynbach - glastonbury , ct - artist, author, teacher the learning corridor
mr. michael mcandrews - glastonbury, ct - artist, photographer hartford courant
ms. muffie knight - west hartford, ct - the national garden conservancy
connecticut
mr . jason archer - executive director, the science and aeronautic museum,
windsor, ct
ms. gilda roberts - brooklyn heights, nyc - editor forbes magazine, author,
gardener
ms. michelle mullins - simsbury , ct - exec. director, the children's clubhouse
ms. carolyn anthony - park slope brooklyn , new york: editor readers digest,
author
ms. jean bergstrom- brookyn heights ny - musical artist,
ms. jerry diamond - brooklyn heights nyc - actress, model, writer
mr. wallace taylor - brookyn heights nyc - antiquarian,
ms. donna matyskiela groosman -avon,ct - president south beach company
mr. bennett grossman - avon , ct , president the autumn company
ms. janina mroz rocheleau - trust offier bank of america- boston
mr. peter clarke - collinsville , ct - architect
ms. roberta clarke - collinsville , ct - medical technologist
dr. sarah clarke boone - moorstown , new jersey - anesthesiologist
ms. joanie mastrocola, phd - canton, ct - teacherbiology, union representative
ms. marcia marsted - canton ct - foundeer and director capelli foundation, national
garden conseervancy garden, professional photographer
mr. jeff marsted - canton , ct and nyc,ny - hedge fund manager, national garden
conservancy garden
attorney bruce bergman, jd - hartford and granby,ct - attorney
mr. frank chiaramonte -harwinton ct - first selectman harwington, exec director
workforce development board hartford, co-owner of national garden
conservancy garden, [email protected]
dr. girvice archer - harwinton, ct - anesthesiologist, co owner of national garden
conservancy garden
ms. selma searfoss - stratford, ct - attorney, master of social work private practice
ms. allison norrie - new haven ct - interim director american silver museum,hisotric interpreter mark twain house hartford ct, masters in history trinity college
ms. mellissa english - bristol ct - yale university
mr. cyrel nagle - farmington ct - professor of english, co-owner and gardener of
connecticut's only fletcher steele garden
dr. pauline olson - farmington , ct - physician retired, co - owner of connecitcut's
only xxxxxxx garden
my two dear hillstead friends
ms. shirley tolley - west hartford , ct - attorney, historic interpreter mark twain
house
ms. deborah leonard - west simsbury, ct - painter, fine artist, ms. of social work
ms. catherine elliot - west simsbury, ct - painter , fine artist
ms. jean shaw gaznier - whidbey island, washington - teacher, director the
giraffes, fundraiser and director the solebury school
ms. janina rocheleau - boston, mass.- manager corporate giving bank of america
ms. pamela churchiill - west hartford connecticut - development professional
mr. abdul hamid alnaemi - west hartford,ct - lawyer kingdom of jordan, manager
mr jonathan bruce - hartford ct - founder and exec director craftery gallery,
artistic director huntington museum, director amsted foundation
ms. judy hayes - burlington ct - designer and master gardener
mr. john hayes - burlington ct - manager s and s corporation
mr. louis nichole - prosect,ct - designer . singer, songwriter
mr. kenton mccoy - collinsville ct - architect
mr. walter kendra director of art ccsc
mr. peter royal huybrechts - burlington ct - teacher mathmatics the learning cor.
ms. judy king - farmington connnecticut - president connecticut horticulture
society. retired librarian city of hartford, a specialist in and owner of a very
special garden of native plants in farminton ct
mr. steven pf. -farmingon ct - professor music university of hartford, composer
mr. bradley latham - springfield mass and xxxx florida, writer and consultant,
gardener
mr. steven solasky , ct state library xxxxxxxxxxxx,
ms. dawn adiletta- woodstock, ct, - curator hb snowe house, interim director
connecticut farmland trust
ms. diana royce - bloomfield ct - developed historic library at stone center, ref
library st. joseph;s college
mr. douglas barnard , bloomfield ct - state of ct environmental prot and fisheries
ms. rene tribert - simsbury ct - curator stone center, exec director simsbury
historic society
ms. annie macfarland - wellesley mass - painter, pres board of trustees stone
center
ms. sandy howard - plaineville connecticut - pianist
mr. harry howard- chemist and inventor of geodon, and co-inventor of viagra
mr and mrs leonard star - westport ct - comic artist of xxxxxxx
ms. brenda munoz - hartford ct - education director ywca young womens
leadership corps, xxxxx foundation
mr.pradesh raganough- waterbury ct - manager social work at wheeler clinic
mr. walter kendra- collinsville ct - professor of art and dept head ccsc, artsit, exec director the max xxxx foundation, director gallery on the green canton
xxxxxxx first selectman norfolk ct
ms. bonnie grover - old main st , south windsor ct and Washington dc- founder and
director kids xxxxx foundation, principle advertising agency
mr. paul dorrell - kansas city kansas - president leopold gallery international art
agents
mr robert rocheleau - london england - systems administrator christian science
mr and mrs darlene and peter farmington ct - president sarnelli construction co
social worker state of connecticut
mr art bechenstein - east hampton long island - industrialist, arts patron
dr. steven stemler ,phd - new haven ct - assist director pace center yale,
professor psychology wesleyan university
university
mrs karen stemler - new haven ct - professor medicine yale university
ms deirdre bibbi - honorary director -
ms. mary glassman - simsbury ct - attorney, first selectman simsbury ct
mr. richard messina -photograher hartford courant
ms. erica grivas - washington state - artist, writer, garden designer
mr cliff cole
ms. ashley giusty
mr. walter whipple
ms. kristen
ms. xxxxxxx. master of social work , naugatuck ct
mr rich marchesault , xxxxx ct, artist, graphic designer
ms. betty van why - xxxxxx- professor of mathematics, insurance retired
mr. and mrs. craig primiani - boston mass
mr.and mrs . john fuoco jr
mr. and mrs. ed dangelo
mr and mrs. ray colacray - westbrook ct and palm beach xxx florida
mis. maryann colacray
ms debbie applegate,phd - new haven ct - author, trustee stowe center
ms. joan hedrick, phd - middletown ct - professor trinity college, author
ms . janina rocheleau- boston , mass - manager bank of america
mss deb mckoever
mr jojn ,mckiever danbury 0 principle xxxx consulting
mr.John McLagan -Implementation Specialist/Certified Consultant at Accordant Company, LLC,Hartford, Connecticut AreaBrenda Liz Muñoz ,Bilingual/Multicultural Community ducator,Interpreter/Translator, Consultant at ECUANIMIDAD, LLC (pending),Hartford, Connecticut Area
David Panagore 1st,Chief Operating Officer at City of Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut Area
Robert Rocheleau 1st,Consulting Practice Manager at Oracle,Brighton, United Kingdom
Roy Temple 1st,Retiered Interim Library Director at Central Connecticut State University,Hartford, Connecticut Area
Laura Young 1st, Vice-President at Avon High School PTO,Hartford, Connecticut
Paul Dorrell 1st
President and Art Advisor, Leopold Gallery LLC
Kansas City, Missouri Area
Catherine Elliott 1st
Professional Fine Artist Professional
Hartford, Connecticut Area
Anne Farrow 1st
editor at connecticut humanities council
Hartford, Connecticut Area
Carolyn Fusco 1st
teacher at Cromwell B o E
Hartford, Connecticut Area
Erica Grivas 1st
Freelance Writer/Editor
Greater Seattle Area
Donna Grossman 1st
Owner, southbeachswimsuits.com
Hartford, Connecticut Area
Harold Lindenthal Account Holder 1st
Principal, Cato Capital L
LC
Hartford, Connecticut Area
Richard Marchesseault 1st
Art Director, Inventor, Home Builder to HGTV Junkie
Greater New York City Area
Carol Mack 1st
Fundraising, Marketing,Training
Hartford, Connecticut Area

Carol Mack 1st
Fundraising, Marketing,Training
Hartford, Connecticut Area

Richard Marchesseault 1st
Art Director, Inventor, Home Builder to HGTV Junkie
Greater New York City Area
1 connections in common

Marcia Reid Marsted 1st
Founder, Capelli d'Angeli Foundation and MRM Photography
Hartford, Connecticut Area
3 connections in common

joan mastrocola 1st
Science Coordinator at Newington High School
Hartford, Connecticut Area

Grace Matyskiela 1st
--
United States

Edward McGushin 1st
at Farmington, CT
Hartford, Connecticut Area

Debbie McKeever 1st
--
United States

Erin Plimley 1stOpen Days Coordinator at The Garden ConservancyGreater New York City Area
Donna Preli 1stDesigner/drafter at Kemper Associates ArchitectsGreater New York City Area1 connections in common
Craig Primiani 1stVice President of Sales, North America at DigiSensory TechnologiesGreater Boston Area2 connections in common
Dave Przech 1stIndependent Fine Art ProfessionalBurlington, Vermont Area
Michele Ramming 1stOwner, Michele TravelsNaples, Florida Area
Chris Pederson 1st
--
renee Tribert 1st
Administration at Catalyst Environmental Consulting Inc.
Hartford, Connecticut Area

Paul Tukey 1st
--
United States

Iris Van Rynbach 1st
Illustrator/author at Self Employed
Hartford, Connecticut Area


Greater New York City Area
3 connections in common

Janis Wheeler 1st
Business Owner at Wheeler Professional Billing
Barnstable/Yarmouth, Massachusetts Area
1 connections in common


Lorna Wright 1st
President, Board of Directors at Farmington Valley Chorale, Inc.
Hartford, Connecticut Area