Junior Master Gardener Series

offered this summer at

Botanical Gardens & Nature Center

 

CORPUS CHRISTI--The South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, in partnership with Texas AgriLife Extension Service, continues its new Junior Master Gardener  (JMG) program this summer.  For children who have completed grades one through six, the seven Saturday afternoon sessions run from 1 to 3 p.m., June 7 through July 19, at the Gardens & Nature Center, 8545 S. Staples.

               

                The JMG course is an international youth gardening program operated nationwide through the Extension network. Taught by trained Nueces County Master Gardeners, JMG promotes “Growing Good Kids” by igniting a passion for learning, success and service through a unique gardening education. The JMG course for summer, 2008 focuses on environment, soil and water segments, correlating with and integrating into academic standards for science, math, language arts, and social studies.

               

                 It includes science process skills, observation, taking measurements, and problem solving. JMG also inspires youths to be of service to others through leadership development and service learning projects, rewarding them with certification, recognition upon completion, and eligibility for advanced youth gardening programs.     

               

                “The Nueces County adult Master Gardener program has proven extremely popular evidenced by full classes from all walks of life each year,” said Dr. Michael Womack, STBGNC Executive Director.  “We’ve had regular requests from parents for children’s horticultural training; and the JMG program is a perfect fit,” Womack continued.  “If kids grow up with exposure to the necessity of plants in our changing environment, we are way ahead of the game—in school science curriculums, outdoor exercise, love of gardening, and passing on knowledge of ecosystem preservation and environmental stewardship.”