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Programs in Our Gardens

A great way for children to connect with plants and to discover Cornell Botanic Gardens is through hands-on, garden-based activities conducted by our knowledgeable facilitators. We invite your group to register for any of the programs below: 

Programs Offered

International Grocery Bag

Mid-June to Mid-October / Grades 4-5
By matching common grocery items to their plant sources in our International Crop Garden, children will learn about an assortment of temperate and tropical plants that feed the world's population.

Fooling with Fibers

July through September / Grades 2-7
Children will examine plants that provide the fibers used to make paper, rope, and cloth, and try extracting fibers to make their own rope or cloth.

Herbs for All Ages

June through September / Grades 2-5
In our herb garden, children will engage their senses as they explore the myriad ways herbs have enriched our lives for thousands of years.

 

Our Wildflower Heritage

April - October / Grades K-4
Classes tour our wildflower garden to examine flowers, leaves, stems, and roots and depart with a sense of wonder of the diversity of our native wildflowers and their adaptations.

Wildflower Explorations: Learning about Plants through Wildflowers

April - June / Grades 3-6
Learn about the botany, ecology, life cycles, and woodland habitats of our native wildflowers. Find out why many woodland wildflowers grow profusely in the spring, then disappear for most of the summer; why some smell good and others bad; and why many have colorful petals while others have no petals at all. Depart with a wonder for the many adaptations wildflowers possess.

Plants in the Decorative Arts

Mid-June through September / Grades 3-5
With drawing materials in hand, children will visit our flower garden to explore how plants have had the power to communicate, commemorate, and inspire artwork throughout the ages.

Plants of the Iroquois

July through October / Grades 4 and 7
Students will learn about Iroquois history, culture, and contributions as they visit our Native American bed and Three Sisters demonstration garden.

Reading the Trees

April through October / Grades 6-8
In this activity-based workshop, students explore trees—nature's underappreciated marvels—by examining wood, identifying trees, and taking core samples.

What Granny Grew in Her Garden

July through September / Grades 3-5
While visiting our Pounder Heritage Vegetable Garden, children will pick, smell, and taste their way through the history of vegetable growing in the northeastern United States.


Click here to register. For questions contact Raylene Ludgate at 607-255-2407 or [email protected]