UT Gardens to host Gardening with Children Symposium, August 24, 2013
Event to highlight educational value of gardening with children
The University of Tennessee Gardens is hosting a symposium focused on helping children learn to garden on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Research shows that getting children active and out in nature has many benefits. Derrick Stowell, an educator with the UT Gardens, said, “Gardening is an easy way for children to interact with nature no matter where they live.” He invites everyone to learn how local gardening programs can assist adults working with children in the classroom or at home.
The symposium is designed for teachers, parents, grandparents and home-schooled families who are interested in learning more about gardening and how it can impact children’s education. Teachers will acquire techniques to enhance their curriculum using garden-based learning. Parents and grandparents will learn how to garden at home with children.
Children’s activities will be available while adults are in educational sessions.
Experts from the Beardsley Community Farm; Knoxville Botanical Gardens – Every Child Outdoors program; UT Extension, Knox County Office; the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge and the UT Gardens will be presenting at the event.
The cost is $30 per adult and $15 per child and includes lunch. The registration form may be downloaded from the UT Gardens website at http://utgardens.tennessee.edu/. Registration must be received by 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 19.
For more information contact Derrick Stowell at 865-974-7151 or dstowell@utk.edu.
The UT Gardens in Knoxville feature more than 1,000 woody plants under long-term observation and 2,000 varieties of herbaceous plants are evaluated annually. The site functions as an outdoor laboratory, a teaching and research facility and as public gardens, sharing their beauty with more than 50,000 visitors yearly. You can find the UT Gardens, Knoxville, just off Neyland Drive behind the UT Veterinary Medical Center on the Institute of Agriculture campus. From I-40 take Exit 386B onto Highway 129 (Alcoa Highway south toward the airport). From Highway 129 take the exit for Highway 158 (Neyland Drive). Turn left onto Neyland Drive at end of exit ramp. Turn left onto Joe Johnson Drive and right at the next light onto Chapman Drive. Free visitor parking is available directly across from the entrance.
The UT Gardens’ statewide collection includes sites in Knoxville, Jackson and Crossville. Together they serve as the state’s official botanical garden and as an outreach component of the UT Institute of Agriculture. The Gardens deliver research discoveries to industry and the public, promote hands-on learning and serve local communities across Tennessee. The gardens are open year round and free to visit. See http://utgardens.tennessee.edu for more information.
