April 2005 News

Ways to Celebrate Spring in the School Garden

During the month of April, gardeners celebrate National Garden Month and a whole lot more. Here are a few other dates to observe with your young gardeners.

National Volunteer Week is April 17 through April 23. It's an opportunity to recognize the volunteers who make your youth garden possible! Sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, National Volunteer Week was created to help organizations focus on thanking volunteers for their dedicated service throughout the year. To find a tool kit of promotional resources and ideas, visit here.

Earth Day is scheduled for Friday, April 22, and the Earth Day Web site is loaded with information about the history of Earth Day and ideas for ways to celebrate.

A week later on Friday, April 29, is National Arbor Day. (Many states observe Arbor Day at other times of the year; the Arbor Day Web site has a full calendar by state.) You can find out more about Arbor Day at the organization’s Web site, including and ideas for recognizing it in your classroom.

Spring Forward with Journey North!
As birds and butterflies migrate northward, and as buds and flowers emerge, you can join with other classrooms online to chart their progress. Find out what’s on the way and share your observations at the Journey North Web site.

Watch for Monarchs
For school gardeners who maintain butterfly habitats or those looking to plant one, the Monarch Watch Web site is a wonderful resource. The lifecycle and migration patterns of monarch butterflies make them especially intriguing, and the site posts updated information on Monarch populations and habitats via Monarch Watch E-mail updates.

Botanical Gardens and Arboreta: Resources for Your Classroom
Many botanical gardens and arboreta provide special programming and field trips for schools and youth groups. To find a garden in your area, visit the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta Web site.


2005 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium: Making Connections
July 28-30, 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia
Emory University and Atlanta, Georgia is the home base for the 13th Annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium. Discover the importance of connecting kids to plants as you enjoy the flora and programs of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and Wonderland Gardens, hosts of the 2005 Symposium. Come gather the tools to become more effective in connecting kids with plants, and discover inspiring ways to share the bountiful opportunities to teach in the garden. You'll find full details at the conference Web site.

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Copyright© 2005 National Gardening Association