Fun and Learning in the Summer Sun in Duke Gardens
On a summer sunny afternoon in late June, the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden has been taken over by young explorers, each clad in play clothes and white visors, amid the medley of different plants. This is Duke Gardens’ Nature Adventure Camp, where children learn about their connections to nature and the many ways that their lives depend on it.
Beck Hanner, a 9-year-old fourth-grader from Wilmington, N.C., wanted a visitor to know he's an expert in the garden. He rattled off facts from history, gardening and politics as he discussed the day's activities.
“We have been transplanting and harvesting vegetables such as beets, jalapeños and strawberries,” said Hanner, a native of Guatemala. "You should know you're working with a Mayan."
The theme for this week was “Plant It, Grow It, Eat It." As they planted and harvested fruits and veggies, students discovered how soil is created, how to cook with the heat of the sun, and how food gets to our plates. Each day there was a different project for the students to keep the garden in shape.
Anna Maiwald shoveled a hole in the soil to make a new home for an herb plant. Her brother Jakob worked aside her. The Maiwalds, children of Duke employees, said they are accustomed to having their own garden.
“We grow some plants including catnip for our two cats, along with herbs,” said Jakob. “We also go to our grandparents’ house; they have a really big garden.”
All activities during the week got the students thinking about where their food comes from. Even snack time was part of the lesson. The campers made salsa on Tuesday using the tomatoes they picked from the Discovery Garden. They also made baked apples in a solar oven on Wednesday, with honey yogurt dipping sauce; Friday they sunbaked the ultimate kid creation—pizza.
Inside the Doris Duke Center classroom, the campers explored the parts that compose a plant and its flower, and seed-making processes. Students recalled which of the various plants in the Discovery Garden were seeding that day. Campers also learned a song to remember the parts of a flower and dissected one to understand its anatomy and biology.
At the end of each day, the campers vote on a game to play; this day they chose "Eagle Eye," a game similar to hide-and-seek crossed with "Sharks and Minnows."
There are rewards for the camp instructors as well. Sue Anne Solem, who has worked as a Duke Gardens docent for seven years, said she loves teaching the students how to eat and live smart.
“We try to give the kids as much hands-on experience as possible, from planting to weeding to watering to harvesting,” Solem said.
Nature Adventures Camps run through Aug. 8. Each camp session a week long, running from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., with an option for extended care until 4 p.m. Themes and age groups vary each week, serving children ages 5 to 10 or entering kindergarten through fifth grade. Advance registration is required. More information can be found at https://gardens.duke.edu/learn/nature-adventures-camp-2014.
Leah Montgomery is a NC Central University student who is working this summer as an intern with the Duke Office of News and Communications.