Relocation FAQ
A Note from the Merle Thorpe Jr. Charitable Trust
ThorpeWood Is Here to Stay
Sixty-six years ago, Merle Thorpe Jr. purchased 23 acres in the Catoctin Mountains. In 1993, before his passing, Merle established The Merle Thorpe Jr. Charitable Trust (MTCT), a 501(c)(3) private foundation, and endowed it with 30 acres of this special place and the responsibility to carefully steward it for the future.
Merle loved his mountain acreage. It was his refuge from city life and the demands of practicing corporate law. Nearly every weekend, he retreated to this place along Bussard Branch to reset and restore himself by immersing himself in the outdoors.
Merle’s vision extended well beyond his own enjoyment of the property. He believed that others—particularly people from underserved communities—should have the opportunity to come to ThorpeWood and be moved, each in their own way, by the mountain’s abundant offerings, just as he had been.
For more than two and a half decades, those hopes have been made real at ThorpeWood—a place where people have gathered, explored, learned, and experienced the simple joy of being outside. The 30 acres originally entrusted to MTCT have grown to 156 acres of forests, fields, streams, and trails. Together with ThorpeWood’s barns, animals, and gathering spaces, this remarkable property has welcomed thousands of people.
Over the years, ThorpeWood’s identity has largely been shaped by three important community activities:
- Programs supporting underserved members of our community;
- Interactive experiences with our farm animals and opportunities to explore our trails, brook trout stream, pond, arboretum, and natural world; and
- Events and gatherings at the Lodge.
These three pillars remain central to ThorpeWood’s future.
We understand that the recent announcement by the nonprofit, ThorpeWood, Inc., about the relocation of its programs understandably created some confusion. We would like to clarify what that announcement means for the ThorpeWood property and animals.
ThorpeWood is not moving.
Merle’s ThorpeWood lives on Catoctin Mountain. This is its home. ThorpeWood is inseparable from the forests, fields, streams, trails, animals, and gathering places that surround it. It remains here, and it will continue here.
We are deeply grateful to the employees and volunteers who have cared for ThorpeWood over the years, who have tended its gardens and trails, cared for its animals, maintained its facilities, welcomed visitors, and brought its programs to life. They have given an extraordinary amount of themselves to this place, and they have our deepest gratitude. We look forward to opportunities for their continued employment and volunteer involvement at ThorpeWood.
As part of this transition, the nonprofit formerly known as ThorpeWood, Inc. will relocate its programs and operations to elsewhere in Frederick County, where the organization will continue its work in mental health, wellness, grief support, outdoor education, and other nature-based programming under the name One Wild.
The MTCT Trustees wish One Wild every success in this next chapter. We are grateful for the programs and experiences created at ThorpeWood and for the many people whose lives have been touched by that work.
And we want to be very clear about what this transition does—and does not—mean:
ThorpeWood is not going away.
The Merle Thorpe Jr. Charitable Trust is actively working to forge a new partnership that will ensure uninterrupted care for our animals, create opportunities for current employees to continue their work on the property, and open the door to new ways for the community to experience and enjoy ThorpeWood.
There is much more to come.
ThorpeWood will continue to be a place to wander a trail, meet an animal, learn something new, gather with others, breathe fresh mountain air, and discover just how much adventure, wonder, and joy can be found outside.
We are proud of ThorpeWood’s history. We are deeply grateful to the people who have helped build, care for, and sustain this special place. And we are excited about what comes next.
The Trustees
The Merle Thorpe Jr. Charitable Trust
Introducing One Wild
In her beloved poem The Summer Day, Mary Oliver leaves us with a question:
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
It’s a question that confronts each of us, every day – even on the days that don’t feel particularly wild or precious. What it looks like to fully live that one wild and precious life is different for each of us. It is this question that is at the heart of our work.
It’s there when someone is navigating a devastating loss and trying to find a way forward. It’s there when someone is looking for a deeper connection to their self, to other people, and/or to nature. And it’s there when a child is discovering their intrinsic value and figuring out where they fit in this complicated world.
Our programs create space for people to explore how to answer this question. Sometimes that means hiking a trail, sitting around a campfire, learning something new, making space for grief, or simply slowing down enough to notice what’s around us.
Today, we’re bringing all of that work into its new chapter under a new name:
One Wild.
We chose this name because it speaks to something we believe deeply: each of us has one wild and precious life, and none of us lives it alone. We are connected – to each other, to the places we live, and to the natural world we are part of.
As One Wild, we will continue creating nature-based opportunities that support mental health, wellness, grief, learning, connection, and belonging. The Umbrella Project will continue as a distinct program within One Wild, preserving its unique identity, legacy, and mission to provide grieving adults a supported wilderness hiking experience that promotes personal growth, self-reliance, and therapeutic recreational activity to help in their healing process, while our programs and partnerships continue to grow and we create new ways to experience meaningful connection in nature.
We’re excited about our new name because it gives us room for all the ways to achieve our mission and help people explore how they answer the question:
What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
We’re looking forward to exploring this question with you.
Commonly Asked Questions
We know our announcement about the relocation of our nonprofit, ThorpeWood, Inc., has prompted questions. We want to clarify the most important things we are hearing.
What is the difference between ThorpeWood, Inc. and the ThorpeWood property?
ThorpeWood, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to reconnect humans and nature to promote mental health, wellness, and environmental stewardship.
The property known as ThorpeWood is owned by a separate organization, the Merle Thorpe Jr. Charitable Trust (MTCT).
Although the nonprofit has had an important role in the stewardship and day-to-day operation of the property, it has never owned the property, the buildings, or its animals. As the nonprofit moves its programs into a new chapter, responsibility for the property will remain with its owner, MTCT.
We are very grateful to MTCT for their years of generous support and for the opportunity to build and grow our programs on their beautiful property.
Why did ThorpeWood, Inc. decide to relocate?
We know there is a real need for accessible, nature-based mental health and wellness programming, particularly grief support, and we have a proven track record in this work. Our strategic planning process asked us to look closely at how we can have the greatest impact in our community. This decision allows us to align our mission with those needs and create greater capacity to serve our community.
What considerations informed this decision?
Our board looked at the organization from many different angles and determined that this transition is in the best interest of our mission and the community we serve. This was a deliberate decision following months of discussion with stakeholders, strategic planning with a professional third-party consultant, and consideration of the organization’s future.
Does this mean we are moving away from nature?
No. Nature remains central to our work.
Our partnership with the YMCA of Frederick County gives us access to beautiful nature-based spaces throughout the county. Camp West Mar, for example, sits on 72 serene, wooded acres about a mile from the Appalachian Trail and has ample overnight accommodations – creating new possibilities for the programs we offer. We will continue using nature as a tool for mental health, wellness, grief support, and connection.
What happens to the animals at the ThorpeWood property?
The animals are not being abandoned. There is an important distinction between ThorpeWood, Inc. – the nonprofit – and the property known as ThorpeWood, which is owned by the Merle Thorpe Jr. Charitable Trust (MTCT). ThorpeWood, Inc. has never owned the property, buildings, or animals. Those are owned by MTCT.
The property and animals were there long before our nonprofit was formed. We cannot speak for MTCT about its future plans, but we know the care of the animals is a top priority for the Trust.
What happens to employees?
We understand that this has been a difficult part of the transition.
We have created a six-week transition period to ensure a thoughtful and collaborative handoff of responsibilities and operations. Where possible, employees whose roles could transition with the nonprofit were given that opportunity.
Several positions, however, are specifically connected to the property, which ThorpeWood, Inc. does not own. Those positions cannot continue with the nonprofit after the relocation. MTCT has expressed a willingness to explore possible paths forward with these employees. We are grateful for everything each of our employees has contributed to our organization and community through their work with ThorpeWood, Inc.
What happens to the Umbrella Project?
The Umbrella Project is a distinct program of ThorpeWood, Inc., focused on outdoor experiences and nature-based grief support for people who are navigating the death of a loved one. We will continue that program and are excited to bring these experiences to new and beautiful locations around the region.
Protecting the purpose and legacy of The Umbrella Project is extremely important to us.
What does this relocation mean for the nonprofit’s future?
At its core, it is simple: we are here to help people.
We are grateful for what the ThorpeWood property has made possible over the years, and our work has always been about people.
We are not stepping away from our mission. We are moving forward to advance it.