Narrow Way Ranch: Where the dreams of friends came true
Tracy Redfearn (left) with Joanne Ludwick (right) are joined by Punky, one of the horses at Narrow Way Ranch.
Photo by Jana E. Pye
By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
Tucked away off Swift Creek Road in Hartsville is a 30-acre beautiful oasis of pastures, sweet gentle horses and ponies, and the culmination of the dreams of three women.
Owner Joanne Ludwick had a dream for many years to have a place of her own to share her love of horses with others, providing a place to share therapeutic riding lessons for children with developmental delays. As she evolved in her roles as wife to engineer Rob, and mother to Casey, now a freshman in college, and Erica, now in her 11th grade of high school, her dreams grew larger.
“I have always listened to my heart when it comes to making changes, and trusted that God has the right timing,” said Ludwick. When she and her family first moved to their home on Windfall Farm Lane, the adjacent property was purchased later to move her horses and ponies. “As a homeschool mother, I became interested in the idea of having a place where children could have outdoor experiences, and learn in nature. Now, here it is a reality. Much as my fears that I would fail tried to hold me back, I had the encouragement of my friend Cindy Blackwell that together, we could make this a reality.”
Ludwick and Blackwell (who was visiting relatives at the time of the interview) both homeschooled their children as part of the Hartsville Home Educators group of families, and both attend Hartsville Community Fellowship.
The two women have been researching the European school ideas of nature based “forest school” – a blend of play led learning experiences that captivate children and are a huge departure from Western led classroom experiences that are largely inside and not as physically active.
“Cindy actually dreamt that she saw us working together,” said Ludwick with a smile. “And I have to say, we really have been having just as much fun as the children on school days!”
The nature lessons for ages 3-7 are held from 9 a.m – 12 noon on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. By definition, the lessons are: student-directed, inquiry-based nature studies; arts/crafts, music/movement, & stories; hike on sensory trails; play on low obstacle course; play on areas that allow children to take risks, think critically, solve problems, collaborate, and create; pet animals; interactive live animal lessons. The children visit the Ludwick’s family menagerie which includes pot bellied pigs and a talking parrot; they enjoy playing at the newly created “mud kitchen”, in the sandbox, taking a nature hike where they find a music station and an Eric Carle inspired recycled tire playground; children balance on slack lines, climb a specially designed tree ladder, generally enjoy a great time.
After our story was printed, we received a great statement from Cindy Blackwell about the program:
“We never know what we are going to do each morning at Narrow Way Ranch Forest School,” says Cindy Blackwell. “One morning, the children found tree frogs everywhere – at the sandbox, in the mailbox at the music station, and at the recycled tire playground further down the sensory trail. We discussed how these frogs differed from the six toads they had found the day before half-buried in the sand under a log. One child threw his newly found toad in the water and discovered it could swim. This prompted the children to grab nets to see if they could catch some minnows for the cakes they were baking in their mud kitchen. Our attentions turned from warts to fish scales as we admired how they glistened in the sun. Then a grasshopper jumped nearby and a child threw down its net to chase it down. Our students are learning a lot about the natural world and how to interact with it and each other as their curiosities lead them on one adventure after another. Their ages range from 3-7. While DNR’s Growing Up Wild is the curriculum, studies are inquiry based and student-driven. It is our mission to connect children with nature in the hopes they will develop a life-long desire to steward the environment and appreciate the natural world around them.”
Ludwick has a unique perspective teaching the children from her background with working with children and her horses and ponies.
“I have found through the years that children that I meet for the therapeutic riding often improve from just being outside and exercising,” said Ludwick. “I ask them to brush the pony, reach for the bridle, and it’s all fun because it’s working with the pony or the horse…while they are actually using muscles they rarely use.”
“And in turn, they improve in all other areas. I see this with the children at these nature classes, too. Although we are not directing them to, I watched them figure out how to create a see-saw with poles – it was physics, although to them, it was play. With the centers we set up on the sensory trail, I hope to develop many more activities where they can learn by playing.”
Ludwick has given nature based lessons at the Boys and Girls Club of Hartsville, and hopes to continue more of that in the coming year.
In the future, Ludwick hopes to offer field trip opportunities to area preschools and schools. “Cindy and I are both certified to teach nature classes using the Project Wild Curriculum. Project WILD is a wildlife-focused conservation education program for K-12 educators and their students. I would like schools to be able to bring their students here to experience nature.”
The church where the two women attend is where they met the third woman that has joined in the dreams-to-reality story of Narrow Way, Tracy Redfearn, the founder & director of the Child and Family Resource Center.
This weekend, the farm will host their 3rd All Seasons Grief Camp, using the expansive natural area as a place for the a community-based therapy in which children will learn to adjust and heal through Music, Art, Equestrian, Nature, and Talk therapy with professional therapists.
“All Seasons Grief Camp allows children of similar circumstances communicate with each other,” said Redfearn. “Together the kids who have experienced similar trauma and grow inward-understanding the trauma, accepting the trauma, and healing from the trauma; upward- growing as a community and relying on the strength of experience from their neighbors, and outward: sharing their experiences with the community as a whole and helping the general public understand and grow in their own lives.”
Redfearn said that she is “incredibly blessed” that Narrow Way Ranch and Embrace Hospice were helping her this year share this camp with children dealing with grief.
“We see that the children labeled as hard to teach, or behavior problems, are often dealing with profound grief,” said Redfearn. “And in this space, they find healing. Joanne has created a place that all children can live and grow in nature.”
The event is free. All staff and volunteers will freely share their time to help children ages 5 – 18 and their parent(s)/guardian(s) who are experiencing grief and loss. Although registration is preferred by contacting the Child and Family Resource Center, no child will be turned away. Contact CFRC at: 843-917-0495. Visit their website at: childandfamilyresourcecenter.com
Chipotle in Florence is graciously helping the Child and Family Resource Center with the grief camp by offering a special fundraiser on Friday, October 14th between 5 – 9 p.m. at their location on 2617 David H McLeod Boulevard in Florence. Show the following flyer on your smart phone to the cashier and 50% of the proceeds will be donated: Eat for Change
To learn more about Narrow Way Ranch, visit: www.narrowwayranch.com Narrow Way Ranch, LLC: Connecting children and nature or call: 843-615-7402 email: narrowwayranchllc@gmail.com
In addition to educational opportunities-field trips, Narrow Way offers environmental education, nature lessons, therapeutic riding lessons, pony rides, animal encounters. The facility and the ponies are both available for parties & events. Mobile users, please click link to see photos of Narrow Way – don’t mind the misty and cloudy morning, it’s beautiful there! Narrow Way Ranch