About Ujima Healing Gardens

Ujima Healing Gardens was created from a simple belief: when people reconnect with nature, they also reconnect with themselves, one another, and their communities.

We believe that gardens are more than beautiful spaces—they are places where learning, healing, creativity, and connection can flourish. Whether nurturing a single houseplant, planting a school garden, or participating in a community workshop, caring for living things invites us to slow down, be present, and experience growth in meaningful ways.

Our programs bring together therapeutic horticulture, environmental education, social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and community engagement to create experiences that are both practical and restorative. We partner with schools, organizations, and communities to design nature-based programs that inspire curiosity, resilience, and well-being.

From individual experiences to school partnerships and organizational workshops, Ujima Healing Gardens is committed to cultivating healthier people, stronger communities, and a deeper connection to the natural world.

Ujima Healing Gardens is a Black-owned wellness and education organization dedicated to creating nature-based experiences that promote healing, learning, and community connection

Growing Wellness Through Nature, Learning, and Community

Meet the Founder:

Ujima Healing Gardens was founded by Cynthia Byron, a Licensed Professional Counselor, educator, and therapeutic horticulture practitioner with a passion for helping individuals and communities thrive.

For more than a decade, Cynthia has provided culturally responsive mental health services through Ujima Life Services, supporting individuals, families, and communities in building resilience and emotional well-being. Her work has increasingly focused on the powerful relationship between mental wellness, community connection, and nature.

Drawing on her background in counseling, education, and therapeutic horticulture, Cynthia created Ujima Healing Gardens to expand opportunities for healing and learning beyond traditional settings. Her programs combine evidence-informed wellness practices with hands-on experiences that invite people to connect with plants, develop practical skills, and discover the restorative benefits of nature.

Cynthia partners with schools, community organizations, nonprofits, and businesses to develop engaging programs that promote wellness, environmental stewardship, and lifelong learning. She believes that meaningful change begins with relationships—with ourselves, with one another, and with the living world around us.

Whether working with students, educators, organizations, or individual plant parents, Cynthia's goal is to create welcoming spaces where people can learn, grow, and flourish together.

"Every seed planted is an opportunity for growth—not only in our gardens, but within ourselves and our communities."