Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Inaugural Plant Camp Cultivates Young Minds
Written by Shayda Windle | Photos courtesy of Oak Spring Garden Foundation
This year marks the debut of Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Plant Camp, a place for green thumbs and creative minds to blossom. The Plant Camp is a key initiative of OSGF’s broader aim to foster education and practice plant science, horticulture, and landscape stewardship.
The OSGF Education and Outreach team has thoughtfully crafted a weeklong experience for children filled with arts and crafts, nature-based learning, story time in the garden, and farm-to-table activities. This immersive program encourages every participant to uncover the wonders of the natural world through practical, hands-on activities. The camp is led by experienced professionals and educators who will provide in-depth knowledge and guidance.
OSGF’s July Plant Camp has two remaining summer sessions, July 22 to 26 and July 28 to August 2, which run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include activities that are tailored for children between the ages of 6 and 12 years old. “Each week of camp can accommodate up to 20 kids, with five instructors and the farm team available as needed,” explains Ginger Anderson, an education and outreach specialist. Children should be dressed for the farm, with hats and closed-toed shoes recommended. The camp will provide morning and afternoon snacks, but children should bring lunch every day except Friday, when they will have a special farm-to-table meal that they’ve helped to prepare.
The experience features STEAM activities and craft-making with natural dyes sourced from the farm, providing a creative exploration of plant-based arts for participants. Campers will also delve into horticulture and gardening basics, learning about different parts of plants and seeds and how to care for seedlings. Practical experience in managing and harvesting from the garden will supply them with valuable life skills and lasting memories. “Between all of the different activities we will do, the children will have lots of keepsakes to bring home,” Anderson shares. “This is our first year offering a summer camp for children, and we hope it’s a success so we can expand the program next year.”
In addition to gardening, campers will interact with chickens and have an opportunity to collect eggs. The camp balances these educational activities with plenty of recreation, including water relays, races, hula hoop contests, and supervised play on the expansive property.
Anderson emphasizes the camp’s focus on conservation and sustainable practices, aligning with OSGF’s mission, and explains that each day of camp has a theme. Monday is sustainable farming day. Tuesday, participants will have a chance to dive into ethnobotany with crafts using Japanese indigo straight from the farm. On Wednesday, they’ll learn about natural resources and some of the conservation activities that take place on the farm. On Thursday, campers will take a field trip to Marshall Library, where there is a program on water and soil sciences. Afterward, they’ll visit Northern Fauquier Community Park to work on an EnviroScape model, an interactive educational tool designed to demonstrate how various environmental processes and human activities impact water quality and the environment.
Friday might be a favorite with the farm-to-table theme and a “plant parade” at the end of the day, where campers will make crafts from plants and celebrate the end of camp. They will also have an opportunity to harvest produce straight from the farm and work with the on-site chef to prepare a meal which everyone will enjoy that day.
By the end of the camp, participants will have a deeper understanding of conservation and an appreciation of plants, gardens, and landscapes. Even more, campers are sure to walk away with friendships, memories, and unforgettable stories from their time at Plant Camp. ML
To learn more and sign up for Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Plant Camp, visit osgf.org.
Published in the July 2024 issue of Middleburg Life.