Exploring the Garden & the Outdoors with Campers

Campers learn about different fur patterns and colors as part of a lesson on adaptations to environment in the discovery hall at the Alabama Nature Center.

This summer, we have campers from three City Community Centers that have carried over from our after school program; Highland Gardens, Regency Park and Chisolm.

We host each center once per week for 4 weeks. During their time on the farm, children ages 8 - 12 have been learning about our farms’ ecosystem, harvesting fresh veggies and preparing simple snacks with seasonal produce.

Campers chop basil, tomato, mozzarella and combine with dressing for their caprese on crackers snack. We have some very good chefs this year!

For our Caprese Salad, we used fresh basil from our new fabric pot garden and cherry tomatoes from the children’s garden. Next week we will use peppers and cucumber in veggie rice wraps with a honey herb dipping sauce.

The campers play games such as ring toss, corn hole, hot potato and a summer version of duck, duck goose, called drip drip splash that incorporates water for a cool off.

Children harvest basil in the new fabric pot garden for their caprese salad. Our fabric pot garden was made possible by a grant funded by the Whole Cities Foundation with the goal of expanding production area in an efficient and affordable way.

In between feeding rabbits greens from the garden and chicken sunflower seeds, and playing, children are guided in harvesting and culinary activities by our dedicated volunteers, Veteran Sandra Davis, and Nicole Johnson, as well as Parks’ staff, Edaiya Boykin and Theodis Williams.

During our third week of camp, we took a field trip to the Alabama Nature Center in Millbrook. There, campers were able to hike with their seasoned naturalists, learning about Alabama’s wildlife habitats, explore the discovery hall and interact with live amphibians and reptiles that are native to our area.

This program is made possible by a grant funded by Big Cedar Education Foundation and our partnership with the Montgomery Parks and Recreation Department. We could not do this program without their support and the support of our volunteers. We love our community and we welcome campers and their families back to the farm Monday - Saturday 8-5 for a visit with our animals and to pick some cherry tomatoes or ground cherries.

Children touch the very friendly corn snake during live animal presentation at Alabama Nature Center. Corn snakes have a checkered underbelly that resembles corn on the cob and live in corn and other fields eating mice and rats.