You  probably know that Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has hundreds of volunteers, who work thousands of hours each year, all over the Garden.  The Garden simply would not be what it is without the dedication and time our volunteers put in. But did you know the Garden also has a specialized volunteer & learning program just for 13- to 18-year-old volunteers?  What better way to engage teenagers than by embracing their energy and light a spark of discovery that might just lead to a lifelong passion for nature?

One of the Garden's Service Learning Students. She looks happy, doesn't she!?

Two programs fall under the umbrella of Youth Volunteer Opportunities, one is for a short-term commitment and the other is for youth who really want to sink their hands into the dirt and while learning about nature and gardening and are willing to make a longer-term commitment.

For students who want a short-term or one-time volunteer shift, the Garden has Community Service Opportunities during summer break (June -August).  Usually, we’ll work in the Community Kitchen Garden, where we raise vegetables for Feedmore‘s, Community Kitchen benefiting Meals on Wheels of Central Virginia and the Central Virginia Food Bank and herbs for the Garden Café.

Our long-term program is the Service Learning Program, where students work their way to different levels of responsibility.  Entry-level students work on weekends helping with family programs, April – October.  After the first year, the students are able to narrow their focus to match their interests.  Some students may want more experience working with children and families, and some may find that they want to learn more about plants.  All Service Learning students leave with an appreciation for the works of nature, and are a valued part of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden community.

The application for the Service Learning Program is due by January 31, 2012.  Visit our Youth Volunteer Opportunities section of our website to learn how to apply.

Questions?  Email Erin Wright at EWright [at] lewisginter.org  or call 804.262.9887 ext. 346.

The Children’s Garden has been fortunate to host an intern from Richmond-based Partnership for the Future for several summers.  This summer, we worked with Kayla Keplinger, a Henrico High School student.  We certainly appreciated working with Kayla this summer.  Below is Kayla’s take on her summer in the Children’s Garden.

In the summer before our senior year in high school, most of us are frantically searching to find a summer job to earn some extra money and a way to pass the time. That search landed me here at Lewis Ginter as a summer intern with Partnership for the Future. I asked for a job that would keep me on my feet and out of a cubicle and that is exactly what I got! I worked in the Children’s Garden doing work mainly behind the scenes, helping to keep things in order and well maintained. There was always a variety of things for me to and they always made sure it didn’t become monotonous—Tuesdays were spent researching Japan and working on a puppet show; Thursdays were spent out in the garden for Horticulture purposes. Whether I was deadheading basil or refilling glue bottles, each day had a flair of its own. I loved everything about working here.

My favorite experiences here has been interacting with the staff. The garden is filled with unique people, all who offer something different. The environment here is so important and I could see no reason why any guest would be dissatisfied with the service the staff provides. They all do so much and even when the job is tough, they still always manage to have a smile on their faces, whether they know you or not. I never once heard one of them complain. I had actually never visited the Garden prior to working here, but I felt welcome from the very beginning. Everyone was so kind to me and eager to make this experience worthwhile. It was amazing to see where people started in their careers, and how they ended up here in the Garden, where they all seemed pretty content to stay.

The Garden itself was wonderful.  Working in a place where there is always a flower to stare at or a butterfly flying past is something you can’t help but appreciate. The buzz of the cicadas and the children playing outside next a patch of vegetables create a unique atmosphere that can only be found in a place like this. It is ever-changing and beautiful and it is so full of life. To be able to pick a vegetable and it eat, and to watch a growing cycle in front of your eyes is beautiful in itself, and a wonderful thing to work for.

And with all the joys, there has to be something I didn’t like, right? Well, I enjoyed all of it but I would have to say my least favorite part was the heat! We have had an incredibly hot summer this year and it has taken a toll on all of us, I’m sure. On my first day here, it was one of those brutal days in the upper nineties.  However, I got used to the heat and learned to really not mind spending the morning out in the garden, coming in sweaty as can be and covered in dirt. It seemed natural after a while and it didn’t really bother me; in fact, I actually started to like it.

I learned a lot during the 6 weeks I’ve spent here and I am extremely grateful for all of it. I learned a bit about the plants, vegetables, and joys of dirt. I learned what truly goes into maintaining a garden of this size and that the team of experts that put their efforts into this garden daily, are normal people who have a passion for bringing the joy of plants to the public.  I learned that hard work is good work and is always worth it in the end. I wouldn’t give it up for the world. As I said, I had never been to the Garden before but you can bet I’ll be telling all my friends and returning whenever I get the chance! It’s a beautiful, ever-changing place and I really learned to appreciate that. This job experience was far better than anything I could have gotten while sitting at a desk all day or taking orders at a fast food restaurant. I couldn’t have asked for any better. Thanks to all of you here at the Garden for making this possible and so enjoyable for me, and I hope everyone continues to enjoy the Garden as much as I have.

I look forward to seeing how the Garden continues to grow and evolve in the years to come.

Thank you for such a wonderful summer!

My favorite recent addition to the Children’s Garden is our three bin compost system.  Not only is composting an easy way to keep useful organic material out of the landfill, it results in the best soil amendment a gardener could wish for.  Our system was built with the help of some high school students who spent their mini- mester with us this spring, and the Geezers, a faithful volunteer group who builds and repairs all kinds of structures all over the Garden.  The compost system will be maintained with the help of the Service Learning Students who will keep it watered, record temperature and turn the pile once a month.

The first bin in our system is called the starter bin.  This is the section to which we add organic matter — weeds and plant parts from the garden, as well as scraps of vegetable matter from our lunches.  We will even get coffee grounds and food scraps from The Garden Cafe & Robins Tea House twice a week to add to our pile.

Finished compost

The second bin is called the resting bin. Once we have a significant amount of plant matter collected, we will cover it with finished compost, and let the enzymes, bacteria, fungi and other creatures in the soil do their work.  All we have to do is keep the pile moist and turn it once a month.

The last bin holds our finished compost. We will use the compost in this bin to inoculate the resting compost,  and also to add to our soil for a nutrient boost.

The next time you are in the Children’s Garden, stop by the picnic area to see how easy and beneficial it is to make compost.  Feel free to add scraps from your own picnic too- just read the signs to make sure that your addition will be appropriate for the compost pile.  Maybe you will be inspired to create your own compost pile at home!

by Erin Wright, Children’s Garden Educator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Everything changes in the spring.  Suddenly, the garden is a riot of color and activity.  The birds are building nests, the turtles come out of hibernation, and the bees seem so relieved to find flowers again.  The entire garden is bursting with blossoms, and the Children’s Garden is bustling with activity.  Here are some photos I took recently in the Children’s Garden.

Do you want to learn more about gardening with your family?  Join us for our Nature Works! family workshops.  This family friendly series will give you a chance to learn through hands on activities in the Children’s Garden.  The next family workshop is on Saturday, April 17 at 10 a.m. April’s theme is ‘A Garden is a Home’, where we will make a soil blend and plant dill seeds, as well as a dill plant for you to take home.  You will even make dirt shakes and a terrarium for home study.  Krissi,  the  workshop instructor says, “This workshop is so fun because we search for garden-dwellers,  animal clues and their homes.  Last year we saw a garter snake, tadpoles and lots of turtles!”  Click here for more information on the Nature Works! Family workshops. (April 17-18 is also Heritage Weekend at the Garden with lots of other special activities.)

On April 25, we hope you will join us for the annual Children’s Garden Spring Fling.  This event includes activities promoting environmental stewardship and highlights the work of local “green” partners, including the Central Virginia Food Bank, Plant a Row for the Hungry, stuff, and the Virginia Native Plant Society among others.  We love the music by the Indigenous Gourd Orchestra, and they will be back this year with their original, funky, folk sounds.

Of course, we will continue our popular family programs through the season, including Drop In and Dig, Investigation Stations, Kid Quests, Good Green Fun, the Green Hour.  We are also happy to introduce Garden Art on Monday afternoons.  Check our calendar for more information on those programs.  Hope to see you soon!

]]> http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/2010/04/08/springtime-in-the-childrens-garden-is-full-of-activities/feed/ 0 http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/2010/02/16/gallery-1-at-lewis-ginter-offers-an-opportunity-for-young-artists/ http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/2010/02/16/gallery-1-at-lewis-ginter-offers-an-opportunity-for-young-artists/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:02:14 +0000 ErinWright http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/?p=1282 by Erin Wright, Children’s Garden Educator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

For eight years, the Children’s  Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has partnered with Henrico County Public Schools to bring a year- round, rotating student art show into the Robins Visitor’s Center.  The art teachers in the schools choose the work for the show, and frame it for their students.  The work currently displayed is from high schools from all over Henrico County, and is truly excellent work.

Detail of mixed media encaustic by Charles, an 11th grader at Henrico High School

Betsy Yost, an art teacher at Tucker High School in Henrico was kind enough to give us some insight into the process.  She says:

For the last several years, I have sent a student’s landscape painting done in an impressionistic style to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Art Show.  For the lesson, students learn about technological innovations that influenced the style and location of French Impressionist painting.  For instance, the collapsible paint tube was invented which enabled painters to work out doors.  Before this invention, paint was mixed and then stored in pig bladders which were not easily transportable.  The increasingly widespread use of photography gave the  Impressionists the idea for candid poses in their work.  New chemical discoveries allowed for bright paint colors.

After learning of influences on Impressionism, students practice the brushstrokes that the Impressionists used.  They learn to scumble — to produce short choppy brushstrokes.  They learn to paint using a wet-into-wet method where colors lay side by side with little mixing to create sunsets and reflections on water.

Students whose work has been selected for the show tell me that it is a great honor, and it makes them feel good to be able to see their work displayed in such a nice space.  One told me that she could tell that she was improving her painting skills as she worked her way from start to finish in her painting.  Another was surprised that her work was selected, but that it made her realize she was acquiring new skills by being selected to show her work.

Detail of acrylic landscape by Selena, a Tucker High School freshman

We here at Tucker High School would like to thank the Garden for this wonderful opportunity to show student work.

The display of natural themed artwork by Henrico County students changes quarterly. The impressive current display of artwork by high school students from Henrico will be in Gallery I until the end of April.  Stop by and check out what local teens are creating.

Impressionist landscape by Rochella, a Varina High School senior

]]> http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/2010/02/16/gallery-1-at-lewis-ginter-offers-an-opportunity-for-young-artists/feed/ 0 http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/2010/01/28/winter-entertainment-in-the-childrens-garden-the-birds/ http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/2010/01/28/winter-entertainment-in-the-childrens-garden-the-birds/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:37:13 +0000 ErinWright http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/?p=1221 by Erin Wright, Children’s Garden Educator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

One of the favorite wintertime activities of the Children’s Garden staff is bird watching. We hang feeders outside of our office windows, and keep them well stocked. The most popular feeder is outside of the kitchen window of the Children’s Garden Carriage House, where we keep a field guide handy to identify all of the beautiful birds who visit.

Of course, the birds don’t know we are watching them when we are inside. When I went outside to get some photos, they were not sure what to make of me. I stood outside for a long time, waiting for one of them to visit the usually busy feeder. First, birds of all kinds gathered in the bushes.

Can you see the four  different birds in these photos? They are pretty well hidden, but there is a Slate Colored Junco with a Purple Finch, a Tufted Titmouse and a Carolina Wren.

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Then one of the birds hopped around on the ground under the feeder…

and finally, one brave chickadee figured that I wasn’t interested in his food, and landed on the feeder.

Working in the garden itself leaves no shortage of bird sightings.  The great blue heron (who I have named Ichabod) and several hawks have been quite busy of late.  Not to mention the goose fight I witnessed yesterday, and the mockingbirds who taunt us endlessly as we work (all of them are named Marguerite).

We can hardly wait until spring, when the fruits of the Mulberry tree brings the more elusive and migratory species to our garden.  The  Scarlet Tanagers and Goldfinches are my favorites to see — their colors are so vibrant, they always take me by surprise.

I encourage you to hang a feeder outside of a window where you can leisurely watch all of the species that come to eat. I think you’ll be surprised at how many kinds of birds live in your neighborhood!

Working in the Children’s Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is always a lot of fun — the staff here loves learning about nature as much as we like teaching kids about it.  Krissi, one of the Program Developers in the Children’s Garden,  has the very cool job of designing a new Kid Quest every couple of months. This outdoor scavenger hunt for kids of all ages is a great way to get to know the gardens at Lewis Ginter better. The Kid Quest that is available  through the end of November focuses on Garden Structures, and will lead you to places you might not have explored at Lewis Ginter.

Krissi tries out the Human Sundial she created

Kid Quest is available from the admissions desk at the Garden- just ask for one on your way in. I don’t want to give too much away about this Kid Quest, but I am sure you’ll want to come by to see one of the newest features in the Children’s Garden – the human sundial. Come over and try telling the time using just your body and the sun!