After 30 years in business, Hayden McLaughlin understands the importance of providing quality, expert service. The founder and owner of Belknap Landscape Co., Inc., McLaughlin and his team have also consistently shown a commitment to the Lakes Region’s environment and community organizations. That commitment is now on display in the Learning Garden at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center.
This spring, Belknap Landscape became an Adventure Advocate business partner with Prescott Farm. The partnership helps Prescott Farm fund two programs: the 10-part, three-season Organic Gardening Service Learning Series and “Nature Artists,” a week of WildQuest Summer Camp.
“It’s a natural fit for us to support Prescott Farm with this partnership,” McLaughlin said. “We appreciate their commitment to educating the community about the natural world and recognize that our association with them is mutually beneficial.”
“We are so grateful for Belknap Landscape’s generous support of these programs,” Hamel said. “In talking with Hayden and his team, it became clear that there’s a huge overlap between the community members who visit our gardens and trails and participate in our programs and the customers they want to reach. We’re excited to see how this partnership evolves and hope it will spark the interest of other local businesses in partnering with us in some way.”
Organic Gardening Series
At Prescott Farm, Service Learning Opportunities, like the Belknap Landscape-sponsored Organic Gardening Series, provide current and potential volunteers with hands-on education and training in their area of interest. The current core group of organic garden volunteers meet monthly with School & Community Programs Director, Andie Hession. Each session is dedicated to a specific gardening task – from planning the garden to harvesting and winter prep – followed by a planning portion where volunteers sign up for specific times to return to Prescott Farm’s gardens to maintain the plots.
“The willingness and dedication of the garden volunteers is truly inspiring,” Hession said. “Because they perform the day-to-day tasks of our ever-expanding Heritage and Learning Gardens, our staff can stay focused on the educational mission of Prescott Farm, ensuring that our program participants, Fledglings preschoolers, WildQuest campers and visitors benefit from all there is to learn in a garden.”
WildQuest Day Camps
WildQuest camps are nature-based and emphasize the fun of learning and exploration of the natural world. Camps take place during school vacation weeks in February and April as well as for nine weeks in the summer. Belknap Landscape is sponsoring “Nature Artists” week which is the kick off to the 2019 summer camp season. The week of June 24th will bring out the science- and nature-loving artist in each camper as they learn how the beauty of nature inspired many historic naturalists, and how it helps promote environmental stewardship today.
“Support from business partners and donors like Belknap Landscape are absolutely vital and incredibly appreciated,” Prescott Farm Executive Director Jude Hamel said. “As a small nonprofit, we rely on the connections we make with individuals, businesses, and community leaders like Hayden to help us expand the scope and impact of our mission.”
Prescott Farm is a nonprofit 501c3 organization dedicated to providing year-round environmental education programs for all ages and a place in the Lakes Region community that encourages curiosity, discovery, fun and connection to the natural world. For details about business partnership opportunities, service learning, volunteering, WildQuest Camps, memberships and more, visit prescottfarm.org or call 603-366-5695.
Belknap Landscape Company is a family owned full service landscape company located in Gilford. Established in 1988 by Hayden McLaughlin, Belknap Landscape owes its 30 years of longevity to a commitment to quality and horticultural expertise while exhibiting a unique concern for the Lakes Region, the environment, and our community connections. Visit beknaplandscape.com for more information.