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This is a program for children and their parents that has been created by board member Marilyn Chakroff. It is held from 9 a.m. to noon on the Second Saturday of each month, starting in January 2008, in the Bodine Visitors’ Center at the St. George Village Botanical Garden. Reservations are essential as the number of participants is limited; call 692-2874 to sign up. There is a $5 per person fee for the workshop.
April 12 –
Making Musical Instruments from Plants
What was the first musical instrument? Perhaps it was a flute, made from a hollow reed. Traditional musical instruments around the world are often made from plants. In this workshop, parents and children will learn about traditional musical instruments, and the types of plants used for making instruments. Participants will choose plants and make their own musical instruments to take home.
May 10 –
All About Seeds
Most of the plants in the world are flowering plants that produce seeds. But what is a seed? How does it form? How does a seed get from one place to another to grow? In this workshop, participants will collect seeds on the Garden grounds, then examine many kinds of seeds with magnifying lenses, and learn what is inside a seed. Participants will plant some seeds in pots and take them home to find out what plant emerges from their seeds. home.
June 14 – Soaps and Scents
Imagine a time before soap was readily available. How did humans clean their hair, skin, or eating utensils without soap? And what products are added to soap to make it look pretty and smell so nice? In this workshop, parents and children will experiment with adding fragrances, dyes, and plant parts such as seeds, leaves, and pressed flowers to their handmade soaps.
July 12 – Taino Art and Artifacts
Did you know that people have lived on the grounds of the St. George Village Botanical Garden for more than 2,000 years? In this workshop, participants will visit areas of the Garden that yield Taino art and artifacts, visit the new Garden Museum and its collections, then play with clay to make their own zemis and navel discs to take home. What is a zemi? Come to this workshop to find out!
August 9 – Desert Plant Adaptations
It gets hot in August, even in St. Croix. How do plants cope with hot and dry weather? In this workshop participants will visit our cactus garden and learn about some of the adaptations of desert plants that allow them to survive harsh conditions. Then participants get to experiment to find out what kinds of features really do keep desert plants cool!
September 13 – Making Paper from Plants
Many plants provide fibers that can be woven into rope, clothing, or made into paper. Ancient Egyptians made paper from a plant called papyrus (the origin of our word paper). The inner part of the stems was cut into strips and laid side-by-side and over one another at right angles. Then the strips were pounded together to form a sheet of paper. In this workshop, participants will collect plants on the Garden grounds, pound them into fibers, then use the fibers to make their own beautiful, handmade paper.
October 11 – Making and Using Natural Dyes
In the past, plants provided the dyes used to color fibers woven into cloth. The earliest known dyed fibers date back to 2000 B.C. in Egypt. Many plants yield colorful dyes when crushed and heated in water. What plants and plant parts can be used as dyes? In this workshop participants will visit the fiber and dye garden, learn about common plants that provide natural dyes, chose some plants and plant parts to experiment with, then try their hands at dying cloth with natural dyes made from plants.
November 8 – What is Soil?
Most plants grow in soil, and depend upon it for important nutrients and water. But what is soil, exactly? Is it the same as dirt? How important is soil to plants? In this workshop, participants will find out where soil comes from and how soil differs from just dirt, and will dig up and examine different kinds of soil to see what’s in it. Participants will then use a variety of natural ingredients to make their own soil, and use it for planting a plant to take home.
December 11 – Botanical Scents and Potpourri
Potpourri is a mixture of flowers, spices, and other fragrant items that is used to release pleasing fragrances into a room. The word potpourri is French and it means “rotten pot.” Originally, the French made potpourri by forming alternating layers of salt and fresh or semi-dried petals and whole flowers in a crock to create a strong and long-lasting scent. In this workshop, students will collect a variety of plant parts that have a scent and make their own potpourri to take home.
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