Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints
Master Gardeners Making a Difference
What is it?
Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints is a program that provides West Virginia Master Gardener groups an opportunity to perform community service by making gardening accessible to West Virginians with arthritis.
What does it provide?
West Virginia AgrAbility will provide qualifying groups with financial support to help cover material costs for construction of raised beds and/or other accessibility modifications for gardens at senior centers, public parks and other locations.
West Virginia AgrAbility will also provide technical assistance and support for groups in identifying accessible gardening resources to meet the needs of their community.
Groups will receive ergonomic tools, which they can later use in outreach and educational efforts. Partnerships with other community groups are encouraged. Call 304-293-4692 x 1185 or email agrability@hsc.wvu.edu for more information on possible funding opportunities for 2008.
Did you know?
- West Virginia has the highest prevalence of arthritis in the United States, with 37% of adults diagnosed with some form of the joint condition.
- Gardening can provide not only access to the outdoors, but also the stretching, strengthening and aerobic activity found to reduce pain associated with arthritis.
What makes a garden accessible?
Arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome can create painful and frustrating limitations that affect active people of all ages. Ways to make gardening more accessible include:
- Raised beds and vertical gardens minimize bending and help prevent overuse of arthritic joints.
- Container gardening using wheeled caddies enables gardeners to move their plants to more convenient places for maintenance.
- Pulley systems for hanging baskets make watering, feeding and grooming much easier.
- Ergonomic tools are helpful not only to gardeners who have arthritis, but also for younger gardeners hoping to avoid the consequences of the repetitive motions and odd postures in which many avid gardeners are frequently engaged.
Where are 'Green Thumbs' Projects Taking Place in 2007?
West Virginia AgrAbility staff were overjoyed at the number of impressive applications, and are excited to work with Master Gardeners on a number of innovative accessibility modifications. Project awardees include:
- Ohio County Master Gardeners, for the construction of raised beds and wheelchair accessible sensory gardens at Peterson Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheeling, West Virginia. Award: $500. Project leader: Fred Payne.
- Monongalia County Master Gardeners, for the construction of raised beds at Jack Roberts Park in Morgantown, West Virginia. Award: $200. Project Leader: Kay Beamer.
- Tucker County Master Gardeners, for the construction of raised beds at Mt. Top Senior Center (in Thomas) and Parsons Senior Center (in Parsons). Award: $300. Project Leader: Georgette Plaugher.
- Braxton County Master Gardeners, for the first phase in construction of raised beds at the Braxton County Senior Center in Sutton, West Virginia. Award: $500. Project Leaders: Jeff and Lena Wright.
- Randolph Tucker Master Gardeners, for the installation of planters and other accessibility and safety modifications to an existing patio at the Randolph County Senior Center in Elkins, West Virginia. Award: $500. Project Leader: Susan Pell.
- Harrison County Master Gardeners, to pay for soil costs associated with a raised bed community garden at the Clarksburg Mission. Award: $500. Project Leader: Larry Campbell.
- -- Kanawha County Master Gardeners, for accessibility modifications to existing 'Bird and Butterfly' and 'Serenity' Gardens at SunBridge Care and Rehabilitation for Dunbar. Award: $500. Project Leader: Helen Dolin.
Thanks to a generous discount granted from Lee Valley Tools, awardees will also receive ergonomic and assistive tools for to use for the project and to continue to use through demonstrations in the community.
Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints is a partnership of West Virginia AgrAbility and the West Virginia Master Gardeners Association, made possible with support from the West Virginia Osteoporosis and Arthritis Program at the Department of Health and Human Resources.
For more information, please contact Stacy Miller at 304-293-4692 x1185 or agrability@hsc.wvu.edu
Photos were taken by Gene Rothert and are provided courtesy of the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) at www.ncpad.org or 800-900-8086
West Virginia AgrAbility is a partnership between the Center for Excellence in Disabilities at WVU, the Northern West Virginia Center for Independent Living and WVU Safety and Health Extension.
Support for 'Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints' is made possible by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources' Osteoporosis and Arthritis Program, which is part of the Bureau for Public Health.
All printed materials are available in braille, electronic format, cassette tape and large print.
