Heather Howell

The Heritage Garden Initiative is a collaboration between the Museums of Burlington and M. M. Robinson High School’s horticulture therapy program, a part of the school’s Community Pathways Program for students with intellectual exceptionalities. Working on the historic grounds of the Ireland House Museum, Heather Howell’s students cultivated a heritage garden using traditional methods, growing vegetables and herbs similar to those raised by Burlington families in the late 19th century. Alongside learning practical horticultural and workplace skills, students examined primary sources, artifacts, and tools to understand continuity and change in food production, preservation, and community life. Their harvest was donated to the Burlington Food Bank, extending the project’s impact beyond the classroom.

This project stands as a model of inclusive, experiential learning through meaningful historical inquiry. The Heritage Garden Initiative demonstrates that all learners are capable of not only learning their community’s history, but also of playing an important role in preserving it.