Fayetteville, Ark (November 14, 2023)- The Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks has unveiled a series of educational initiatives aimed at fostering environmental awareness and experiential learning.
“The idea for the botanical gardens started in 1993,” communications manager Lane Berry said. “We became officially incorporated in 2007,”
The garden works closely with the community on several education initiatives. They offer workshops, lectures, and hands-on science and nature explorations for children.
“Last year we updated our flower beds to expand into our Little Sprouts and Garden Bud Programs,” Berry said. “Little Sprouts and Garden Buds are the programs we have for our preschoolers from May through October to learn different gardening and environmental skills.”
All of the produce from the programs is donated to feeding the local community. As the garden beds are expanding, more food is donated.
Berry expressed the intention to impart lessons about community service and the value of being considerate to neighbors by incorporating youth beds alongside the primary beds.
Berry said the programs introduce children to nature and instill a sense of curiosity about the environment. During the program, children will spend a week in each of the 12 gardens learning about different flora and fauna. The lessons taught during the programs preach sustainability and caring for one’s environment and community.
Along with younger ages, the garden provides several citizen science projects. Right now, the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks has paired with the University of Arkansas to research butterflies.
Visitors to the garden can complete a checklist of observations provided by Erica Westerman. The purpose of the study is to determine if the wing pattern of a butterfly can be used to predict butterfly behavior.
“The goal is to see if the color of a butterfly determines the color of a flower it goes to,” Director of Education Brook Blanton said. “Guests can follow a butterfly around and observe the flowers it flies to. Their research is then sent to the university where it is tested.”
The data collected will be compiled with University of Arkansas researchers and garden visitors. The study can be completed at the garden or at home.
“We just want to educate the public, the members, and kids,” Blanton said. “Whether that is through citizen science projects, flowers, botany, horticulture. We want everyone to be environmentally friendly and safe.”