** IS FULL!!**The Seventh Annual Junior Gardener Day Camp will be held June 7-11, 2010 from 9 am until 12:15 (please note the slightly longer day) at the Williamson County Ag Expo Park in Franklin, Tennessee. The camp is open to rising first through rising sixth graders and, having expanded, we have space for 60 children this year. The campers are split into four age matched groups and rotated through four activity stations each day. Each group is mentored by Master Gardener volunteers. Our activity stations are led by leading horticultural experts and Master Gardener volunteers. The fee for camp is $45 which includes a tee shirt. Our theme this year will be “Grrr…owing with Wildlife”. The campers will learn about our native wildlife in Tennessee, how to attract desirable wildlife and deter the “undesirables”, how to help protect our wildlife, and how to have a certified backyard wildlife habitat. They will make themed crafts to take home and will enjoy snacks prepared with the session topics in mind. We have planned a field trip to the Williamson County recycling Center as well as another destination still in the planning stages.
We will begin accepting registration forms for the 2010 Junior Gardener Camp on Monday, March 1st. We do recommend applications be brought to the Extension Office, as they will have priority over applications received in the mail that day.
Our camp in 2009 was themed “Edible Crops”. Forty-eight campers, ranging from rising first through sixth graders, participated in the week-long camp. The campers made many crafts and had delicious snack each day made by our Master Gardener volunteers, including homemade whole wheat bread with homemade preserves that the children made during one of their sessions. There was a special field trip to Carnton Plantation where the campers enjoyed guided tours of the heirloom gardens, grounds and old slave quarters. They also enjoyed stories from a story teller and snacks under the canopy of old trees next the historic house. We wrapped up camp on the last day with a parent ceremony where the campers performed their team cheer and received camp certificates.
Here is a snapshot of last year’s 2009 camp curriculum:
Edible Crops
Trees as producers
Fruit trees
Nut Trees & Small fruits
Making preserves
Painting t-shirts
Day 2: Vegetables
In the Beginning..starting a garden
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Keeping Your Garden Green and Growing
Making cards/stationery using apple prints
Day 3: Field trip to Carnton
Day 4: Seed Crops
Corn
Soy
Wheat, Rye, Oats
Making Seed Boxes
Day 5:
Herbs
Edible flowers and edible seeds
Story teller and snack
Leaf collage picture frame
Questions? Call 615-790-5721 or email Msmith43@utk.edu
or Anne-Marie Mitchell, amitch15@utk.edu
