Pamlico Rose

10/13/2026

Williamston Community Garden

A week ago, I had the fortune to visit the Williamston Community Garden. I met up with Princess Foster, a Board member and a primary driver of the garden since its beginning in 2021, during the zenith of COVID. I had reached out to her after hearing that the support needed to maintain the garden was problematic for the all-volunteer effort to continue the operation of the garden as a community garden. Their struggles were very real to me as Pamlico Rose has encountered similar experiences as we have developed and expanded our mission. On their journey, many folks had volunteered their time, and also provided in-kind donations. The town of Williamston provided a parcel of land, bounded by tennis courts on one side and the local school a stone’s throw away. Over five years, the seeds planted by volunteers grew into a thriving garden, nurtured by those drawn to a place that was welcoming to those who had, and those in need. The garden has also created a sense of community that was more than a place to grow and harvest, it also fostered social gatherings and educational opportunities for populations, such as disabled adults and school aged youth.

Princess gave me a great tour of the garden space. It became very apparent that her love for the garden also included a deep knowledge of the plants, shrubs and trees that thrived within. I am sure this love is shared by those who have given of their time and energy to keep the garden going.

Given our mission to promote nature-based wellness in underserved areas, we look forward to working with Princess and the Williamston Community Garden to ensure the garden continues to be a welcoming place where community members can connect with nature, build relationships, and engage in activities that produce healthy eating and sound nutrition and foster wellbeing.
Robert Sands

10/05/2026

The Biocultural Garden: Nature-Based Wellness Starts Here!

Sign up today for The Biocultural Garden, our online foundational course in nature-based wellness. The course explores the deep and enduring relationship between humans and the natural world and how that connection can foster physical health, mental wellbeing, meaningful social connection, and a healthier relationship with the environment.

Offered through Pamlico Rose Academy, https://www.pamlicoroseacademy.org/, the six-module course is self-paced and requires approximately 10–12 hours to complete. The course fee is $30, with all proceeds supporting Pamlico Rose’s, https://www.pamlicorose.org/ statewide nature-based wellness programming. Graduates receive a Certificate of Completion. And as a special October offer, anyone who signs up and completes the course during October will also receive a complimentary copy of our 2025 publication, On Herbs: A Sprig of Knowledge for a Healthier Life.

Learn about nature. Explore your connection to it. Put that connection to work in your everyday life.

See attached flyer for more information.

To register for the course go to https://www.pamlicoroseacademy.org/online-courses, more information on how to register or the course itself, contact [email protected].

09/12/2026

Three days. A lot of work. High temps and humidity. And a little piece of ourselves left behind.

Our PRI Wellness Corps members spent three days at Hesed House of Hope planting, building, clearing, cooking, sharing a meal with residents, and helping expand a landscape designed around nature-based wellness.
As part of our 9/11 commitment to service to others, we also raised two eight-foot peace poles, a lasting reminder that the gardens we help build and sustain are about more than plants and places. They are about people, connection, and community.
Read more about what we accomplished at Hesed House and where the partnership goes from here.

serve. learn. build. grow.

Service, Gardens and Community: Wellness Corps Members Spend Three Days at Hesed House of HopeRobert Sands5 minutes ago1 min readThe three-day effort was conducted under the umbrella of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, embracing service to others as a way to honor the lives....

09/02/2026

Tomorrow, AmeriCorps members from PRI Wellness Corps sites across North Carolina will come together at Hesed House of Hope Tomorrow, AmeriCorps members from PRI Wellness Corps sites across North Carolina will come together at Hesed House of Hope in Lincolnton to kick start a new wellness garden. Over three days, members will help transform the facility’s existing grounds into a welcoming space where residents can move, grow, gather, learn, create, reflect, and connect with nature and one another.

The workweek is only the beginning. Through our partnership with Hesed House, PRI Wellness Corps will continue helping build and sustain the garden and develop nature-based wellness programming for those working toward employment, housing, and greater stability.

It’s a fitting way to approach the 25th anniversary of September 11 and the National Day of Service and Remembrance: people coming together in service to create something that will continue serving a community long after these three days are over.

Serve. Learn. Build. Grow.

https://www.pamlicorose.org/post/americorps-members-from-across-north-carolina-to-kickstart-new-wellness-garden-at-hesed-house-of-hop

AmeriCorps Members from Across North Carolina to KickStart New Wellness Garden at Hesed House of HopeRobert Sands15 hours ago1 min readA Pamlico Rose Institute/Hesed House partnership will create a nature-based wellness space supporting residents as they work toward employment, housing, and greater....

09/01/2026

Pamlico Rose Institute has been awarded an AmeriCorps grant for 2026-2027. This marks the fifth year of the partnership in promoting nature-based wellness to underserved communities. PRI Wellness Corps now serves wellness gardens across the state, from Aurora in the east to Lincolnton in the west. We are honored to have AmeriCorps as a partner as we extend our model of nature-based wellness to those in need while providing our AmeriCorps members with the personal and professional opportunities of national service.

08/21/2026

From Wellness Garden to Outdoor Classroom

Two years ago, Pamlico Rose Institute and PRI Wellness Corps, in partnership with AmeriCorps NC, began working with Chocowinity Primary School to create something more than a garden.

Together, we envisioned a place where students could get their hands in the soil, discover where food comes from, observe plants and wildlife, learn outdoors, and experience the benefits of connecting with nature.

Today, the Chocowinity Primary School Wellness Garden includes raised garden beds, an outdoor teaching shelter, rainwater collection, and spaces for students to learn, explore, and grow. Just as importantly, the garden is now ready for its next chapter.

PRI and the Wellness Corps are formally turning the garden over to the CPS community, where teachers, staff, and students will continue to cultivate it and incorporate it into the school’s STEM learning program.

That transition is an important part of what nature-based wellness means to us: partner with a community, create a space together, engage people in it, build local capacity, and help that community make the space its own.

Read the Chocowinity story and see how a wellness garden became an outdoor classroom, and a lasting resource for the school community.

Nature. Learning. Connection. Community.

https://www.pamlicorose.org/post/from-wellness-garden-to-outdoor-classroom-a-partnership-in-nature-based-wellness

From Wellness Garden to Outdoor Classroom - A Partnership in Nature-based WellnessRobert Sands2 minutes ago1 min readRead the story of the Chocowinity Primary School's Wellness GardenFrom Wellness Garden to Outdoor Classroom_819.pdfDownload PDF • 3.52MB

07/20/2026

Introducing The Biocultural Garden: The First Course in Pamlico Rose Academy's EdenBloom Program

What if your garden could be more than a place to grow plants?

What if it could become a place to improve health, reduce stress, strengthen community, and reconnect us with the natural world?

At Pamlico Rose Institute, we believe nature is one of our greatest partners in wellness. That's why we're excited to invite you to join The Biocultural Garden, the inaugural course in Pamlico Rose Academy, our new online learning platform, and part of EdenBloom, our integrated nature-based wellness education and community engagement program.

Beginning July 27, this free six-week online course explores the deep and enduring relationship between people and nature through a biocultural lens—bringing together biology, culture, ecology, and wellness. Participants will also discover practical approaches to designing gardens and greenspaces that foster health, resilience, learning, and community well-being.

Whether you're a gardener, educator, healthcare professional, conservationist, volunteer, community leader, or simply someone who enjoys spending time outdoors, this course offers a new perspective on how the places we create can help people flourish.

Course Details
The Biocultural Garden
Begins July 27
1–2 hours per week for six weeks
100% Online
Free of charge

Please see the attached flyer for registration information and additional course details.

Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or send me a message directly.

This course is just the beginning. Through Pamlico Rose Academy and EdenBloom, we're building a community of learners who believe that healthier people, stronger communities, and a healthier planet begin by reconnecting with nature.

We hope you'll join us.

01/26/2026

Hesed House of Hope
This last week, in commemoration of Martin Luther King Day week, members of our team traveled to our host site, Hesed House of Hope (HH), https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83709870727?pwd=zkdcb1PdJE1RH4AP02sxzqw8tAJWvA.1, in Lincolnton, NC to begin support of the development and build phase of their wellness garden. On Wednesday and Thursday, I joined Nina and Chris, our PRI Wellness Corps members supporting our flagship gardens in Aurora, as we built 5 robust and sturdy raised beds and laid out a radial design of raised beds in their 19 x 22-foot space that will grow veggies by late spring. We were joined in our efforts by HH volunteers and Megan Trawick, Deputy Director of VolunteerNC. Hesed House is a months long transition program for the unhoused, offering housing stability while securing employment and establishing financial security. It serves female and male residents to include children of residents. A big thanks to Keith Poston, HH Director, for all his help in making this a successful venture. We look forward to placing a Wellness Corps member there shortly and going back to help their gardens grow!

01/20/2026

Walk for Peace

We have been following the progress of "Walk for Peace" undertaken by 22 Buddhist monks from Texas and their peace canine companion Aloka, with a final destination of Washington, DC. It has been a fascinating experience for those who turn out to engage and listen at each of their daily stops, but following them through their Facebook account and live interactive map has been the next best experience. They are currently in NC making their way around Greensboro, NC and stopping just outside Julian this evening. You can follow them on their page, Walk for Peace, walkforpeace2025, and on their live map, https://dhammacetiya.com/walk-for-peace/live-map/. They will continue east through NC before turning "left" or north into Virginia. As you can see by their page, the reception they are getting at each stop, large metropolis to small rural town, has been amazing.

This Live Map is for seeing the exact route and stop locations for today.This map is updated in every 15-60 minutes. It only shows the approximate location of the journey. The best spots to visit us are at the stop locations (at lunch and night rest).

01/20/2026

For those interested in regenerative agriculture and sustainable living, what looks like an amazing online free summit, starts tomorrow.

New Year, New Earth Summit
"More people than ever are waking up to the fact that the old way of living isn’t working, and they’re looking for something real to build instead…

So we’ve gathered globally respected permaculture experts and regenerative leaders for a FREE, live 3-day online summit…
Designed to show you how a different way of living is possible, and how to start building it at home, with practical steps you can actually take in 2026."

https://www.ecoversity.org/nynesummit




The Wellness Garden of Aurora NC

Join the free New Year, New Earth Summit to learn how people around the world are building resilient, nature-aligned lives. Jan 20–22.