Session I: Raining Gardens Intro (featuring Nancy Long!)

Summer Spree is off to a great start this summer! The overall theme of 2013's Spree is "Grow with the Flow," and each session a different visiting artist will be interpreting this theme into a piece of art that each Magic Mornings group will contribute to throughout the session.

The first session's artist is Nancy Long, who is the CAC's go-to gardener and storyteller, and an expert environmentalist. She has been teaching Summer Spree classes here for years, and every year there is not a child who doesn't love getting their hands into some dirt after Nancy inspires them with a story about how they can help their friends (of the human, animal, or plant variety) by learning about our ecosystem.

While also rotating through other "specials" such as ceramics or playground time, each group will spend time in the garden. Nancy is getting the kids started working along the outer edges of the gallery, where the most significant amount of rainfall flows into the gardens. She is teaching the kids about rain gardens, and the importance of using plants and soils to slow down the flow of water across the surface of the ground to prevent excess run-off of topsoil and pollutants.

Nancy Long tells Sarah's Orange Group a story about water flow before digging in the garden.

After a short story from the most engaging and interesting story teller we know, the kids follow Nancy around to the garden where they will be digging a trench along the outer edges to promote the flow and filtration of rainwater down further and further into the soil. The kids have a great time getting their hands a little messy, learning all about the water cycles, and helping out the environment. 

Nancy worked mainly with the younger groups today digging out the pathway for water flow, but as the session continues, the older kids will also get involved planting holly, hydrangea, and more plants natural to the area. Can't wait to see how it moves along!