By: Mike Sullivan, Primary Therapist & Lori Armbruster, Communications Director PQ staff members were honored and humbled by the overwhelming turnout of alumni, students and families who gathered at the San Francisco Children’s Garden in Golden Gate Park for an inspiring day of service to the community! PQ alumni spent the day working side by …
By Travis Slagle, Horticultural Therapy Director Changing the world is not an easy business, and for mental health providers, changing a life can be just as complicated. Many people enter the field of outdoor therapy because they want to change lives. For students at Pacific Quest, the most basic therapeutic task is to literally practice …
By Lauren Meyer – Assistant Program Supervisor This past Friday, a few of our Malama students took a break from camp to set out into the community of Na’alehu with a purpose. With a trunk full of tools, and smiles on our faces, we took off down the road to a neighbor’s house. In this house lives …
By: Anthony Florig, BSBA Purchasing and Farm Manager Almost all of the gardens at Pacific Quest are built from the ground up, and also down, by the hands and hearts of all the students and staff that find their way to the Big Island of Hawaii. I would like to share a story about the …
By: Clementine Wilson, Adolescent Field Manager & Jody St. Joseph, Adolescent Program Director This three part series focuses on the Master Guide position and the significance of this special role at Pacific Quest. The first entry looked at the role itself and highlighted Nikki Robinson. Part II introduced Master Guide Alyson Alde. In this third and …
By Kate Goodwin, Young Adult Wellness Medical Supervisor The tropical coconut is an incredible superfood with endless uses, especially in Polynesian cultures. The Hawaiians used “Niu” or coconut for drink, food, thatching, hats, baskets, furniture, mats, cordage, clothing, charcoal, brooms, fans, ornaments, musical instruments, shampoo, containers, oil for fuel, light, ointments, soap and more. Traditionally, …
By: Dara Downs, Alumni and Family Services Liaison Pacific Quest recently offered a Horticultural Therapy training for all staff members at our Young Adult campus at Reeds Bay. This training was a unique experience where field managers came alongside field guides, and logistics staff worked side by side with nurses. Therapists and administrative staff traded …
By: Dara Downs, Alumni & Family Services Liaison In mid April of 2016 we started the Eat Local Initiative at our Young Adult Program at Reeds Bay. This initiative was designed to help track the amount of produce being harvested, being cooked, as well as to help create motivation in the student milieu. It’s set …
By: Isabel Holmes, Academic Coordinator This month Pacific Quest will host two company wide Horticultural Therapy trainings. Last week, over 40 staff members gathered at Reed’s Bay for the first training. We were able to utilize the full campus and make the most of our garden experiences for staff and the land. The day included …
By: Annette Nickontro, Kitchen Supervisor I’m so grateful for the grub we get to grow! Summer is here and June’s harvest was no joke – 255 pounds worth of beautiful leafy greens, herbs and a huge chunk of weight coming from jackfruit and those white and yellow pineapples we’d been waiting for! We cut, cooked …