A Social Network for Nature Teachers & All Kinds of Stick Sculptures
by Jonah Holland, PR & Marketing Coordinator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
As you probably know, here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden we love education. And in turn that means we love teachers too!
I’ve written about it before. But I keep coming back to it, because our mission in everything we do here at the Garden has roots in education.
As the social media point person for the Garden, I’m always seeking out connecting with others in the Gardening world who have a similar mission to Lewis Ginter. This week, I hit pay dirt, when I discovered that the Children & Nature Network has a Ning community, made up entirely of educators who have a mission to integrate nature into their teaching. After only just a few minutes on the site, I felt like I’d found a new home. In particular, an article on creating live willow tree structures for children to play in caught my eye. Although I’d never heard of it, I knew immediately what a hit it would be with my own kids. Come to find, we’ve got one right here in the Children’s Garden at Lewis Ginter in the Bird and Butterfly Meadow! After several years of careful pruning, we’ve got a nice looking tunnel, and at the end a fort! It’s too short for adults — so it’s the perfect kid hang out!
A living willow fort in the Children's Garden: come on in!
Speaking of sculptures made out of plants, just wait until next spring when
stick sculptor Patrick Doughterty comes to Lewis Ginter for 3 weeks (May 2 – May 22, 2011) to create one of his amazing woven stick installations that both children and adults will be able to explore. Garden visitors will witness the creation of a monumental, site-specific sculpture made entirely of woven sticks and twigs. Doughtery is an internationally-renowned artist who gathers natural materials, and draws inspiration from the surrounding environment, as he designs larger-than-life structures may remind visitors of a nest, cocoon, or even a fairy tale dwelling.
In fact, Dougherty will be in town next week for a site visit to get some ideas about what sort of structure he might create and where. Stay tuned to this blog for more posts, photos and video from his his site visit!