More and more families are discovering Gamble Garden! Our Second Saturday Nature Hunts have been growing in popularity, and we hosted several school field trips last year. To keep up with the demand, the Education Committee is recruiting volunteer Garden Guides to introduce children and families to the wonders of Gamble Garden.
The new Garden Guide Program features volunteer Garden Guides working with families and school-age children to inspire and promote an understanding of plants, garden critters, and environmental conservation using our urban garden as a learning laboratory. When school groups visit Gamble on a field trip, Garden Guides will lead groups of 6-8 students and their chaperones on interactive, inquiry-based horticultural tours of the gardens. During Second Saturday events, Garden Guides will lead similar tours for mixed-age, multigenerational groups.
Time commitment for each event is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, and Garden Guides will be asked to commit to 6 events per year. An understanding of horticulture is not required. All you need is a love of interacting with children and families in Gamble Garden’s exceptional natural setting.
In order to effectively lead tours, Garden Guides will be asked to attend a training program consisting of four two-hour sessions under the direction of Richard Hayden. Sessions will take place in October and November 2018; exact dates are still being finalized. Each session will consist of a variety of topics such as plant life cycle, bugs and pollinators, native plant adaptations, the history of Gamble Garden, and inquiry-based approach to learning.
If you are interested in learning about becoming a Garden Guide, view our Garden Guides page.