2012 Junior Gardener's Club Schedule

The fun and learning continue at The Oregon Garden in 2012. Our regular Saturday programs are listed below - additional programs will be announced throughout the year. Remember that Junior Gardener's Club members (and Oregon Garden members at the Trillium level & above) receive free admission to all regular JGC programs - don't miss the fun!

Contact the Garden at 503-874-8100 to pre-register for programs.

January 14, 2012        Motion Magic Tumbling

            Gymnastics, dance, yoga and creative dramatic play. Kids will partake in a gymnastics circuit, learning basic tumbling skills, strength exercises using fun props like hula hoops, ribbons, and parachutes. Stories, themes and music are woven into the class to encourage imagination and creative expression. For more info on Motion Magic, click HERE

February 11, 2012      I Love Origami

            Explore the ancient art of origami and learn to fold paper into amazing shapes. Learn about the history of this art form while you create. 

March 10, 2012          Bugs Can Be Good – Looking at Beneficial Insects

            See a wide variety of beneficial insects – pollinators, predators, and parasitoids – and learn the functions of each group. 35 insects will be shown via slides and display boxes and kids will make a bug box of their own to take home.

April 14, 2012 Dirt does Great Things for Composting & Worms Too

            Get down and dirty with us as we learn about dirt, soil, compost…and worms too!

May 12, 2012             Gardening for the Whole Family

            The Oregon Garden Horticultural Staff will be teaching easy garden design tips and methods in this class which will kick off the “Family Garden Contest.” The first 40 families to pre-register for this program will receive a free garden box from Naturalyards, Inc. More details on the contest will be listed on our blog and website.

June 9, 2012               Photo Scavenger Hunt

            “Click” – did you get the shot? This program will provide you with quick and easy photography instruction before sending you out into the Garden to find and photograph each item on the scavenger hunt list.

July 14, 2012              Geo-caching Adventures

            Oregon Garden friends, Chuck, Carol and Jen return to the Junior Gardener’s Club for more fun with geo-caching. Learn how to work the gps units and set off on a  modern-day treasure hunt!

August 11, 2012         Monster Plants

            Ghouls, vampires, zombies, space invaders, murderers—sounds like movie night on Halloween? Actually, this is a story of plants—MONSTER PLANTS. Come learn about plants that are much stranger than the ones in your garden. And even better, learn about the Monster Plants that live nearby—or that you could even grow in your garden! If you are brave enough!

September 8, 2012     Using Your Senses in the Garden

            Join Yoga Instructor, Tsipora Berman of the Silver Falls Yoga Studio for an engaging up close and personal one of a kind sensory experience in the Oregon Garden Children's Garden Area.  Explore the landscape of your personal connection with Nature expanding your unique understanding of 5 senses (touch , smell, feel, taste, and hear) to include 7 other sensory surprises. 

October 13, 2012        The Lonely Little Pumpkin Puppet Show

            Little Peter the Pumpkin is excited about being picked for Harvest and can’t wait to be picked at the Pumpkin Patch. But Peter is watching all of his friends get picked around him and is starting to worry that he won’t find a home and he’ll miss his big

chance to shine. Join the colorful cast of characters like Misty the Spider and Adley the Acorn and others who do their best to cheer up lonely Peter the Pumpkin.

November 10, 2012    Garden Art: Paper Making

December 8, 2012      Found Object Art

Fall Programs for Junior Gardener's Club Members

Coming to the Junior Gardener's Club this fall:

November 8, 2011
    Art in the Garden in the Education Center


November 26, 2011
   Junk Jam (rescheduled from August) in the Education Center


December 10, 2011
   The Reptile Man in the Pavilion


All programs begin at 10 a.m. Please bring your membership card with you to the program.

Chef Kids Make Salsa on September 10th!

The Junior Gardener's Club will bring Julie Merry of The Merry Kitchen to the Children's Garden on September 10th for a delicious program where club members will learn about fresh produce and will make salsa and lettuce wraps! Eating their creations will round out the hour.

After the program, club members will take a short tour of the Silverton Market Garden and may get to harvest some fresh produce to take home!

The program begins at 10 a.m. and will run for approximately 1 hour. All cooking and produce materials will be provided.

About the Merry Kitchen:

The Merry Kitchen is the brainchild of Julie Merry. Julie got her bachelor's degree in Nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia and soon became a Registered Dietitian. While attending GSU, she switched her focus to the culinary aspects of nutrition. During college, she worked as a nanny for four children and discovered they had never been taught to cook. Julie took the opportunity to explore cooking with them. After seeing the excitement on the children's faces, she recognized her dream - teaching children to cook.

She moved to Portland, Oregon in the fall of 1999 and attended Western Culinary Institute. After graduating with honors, she cooked at a local restaurant and led the catering team for Elephants Deli. After gaining experience in a restaurant kitchen, she pursued teaching with the Western Culinary weekend program. She also volunteered at Sur la Table in the teaching classroom. After helping out for a few months, she was hired to teach the children’s cooking classes at Sur la Table. Her first class was such a success, she was asked to teach the Kid’s Cooking Camps that summer.

After two successful years with Sur la Table, Julie was then hired by Portland Public Schools to lead the after school cooking program at Fernwood Middle School. While teaching at Fernwood, she realized her ultimate dream. It was to have a cooking school out of her home, teaching teenagers and children of all ages to cook.

Ever since that realization, Julie has been remodeling an adorable house she found in NE Portland. While planning out the school, she decided that children should be learning how to grow the food they were going to be cooking. In 2008, she completed the Master Gardener program taught by OSU Extension Services. She has been cultivating a 500 square foot garden in her backyard and during summer camps, teaches children how to grow, maintain and reap the benefits of an all organic garden. Compost is made and utilized from the scraps of each cooking class.

The Merry Kitchen also does private parties, birthday parties or special themes not listed on their website. These need to be scheduled at least a week out. Please direct inquires to Julie Merry by phone: 503.946.8357 or email at julie@themerrykitchen.com. The Merry Kitchen is located at 5202 NE 72nd Avenue, Portland OR 97128. Please call for an appointment. No drop ins.

Updates on Summer Programs from the Junior Gardener's Club

We hope you have been enjoying the summer as much as we have! Tuesday programs continue for the Junior Gardener's Club - including tomorrow's Zumba program at 10 a.m. (Tuesday August 9th) and the last Tuesday program for the summer, Teddy Bear Picnic on August 16th.

Silverton Fitness instructor Lydia will be in the Children's Garden at 10 a.m. tomorrow to teach club members (and their parents!) how to move and dance to the zumba beat. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to wiggle and dance in the gorgeous summer air!

On Tuesday August 16th, the Junior Gardener's Club will celebrate the summer season with a Teddy Bear Picnic! Children of all ages are invited to bring their best Teddy Bear friend and enjoy a fun morning of teddy snacks and a wonderful puppet show by Penny Puppet Productions! This program will happen in the Children's Garden and may last about 80 minutes.

Note: if your teddy bear friend can't make it to this party, the Gift Shop will have some great teddy bears on sale - with special pricing for Junior Gardener's Club participants!

An update about Saturday programs:

Due to unexpected circumstances, the August 13th Junk Jam program is being postponed until this fall. A new date will be posted on this blog and sent to Junior Gardener's Club members as soon as it has been finalized. We apologize for any inconvenience!

Join us on Saturday September 10th at 10 a.m. for a cooking adventure! The Merry Kitchen will be at The Oregon Garden to teach us how to make fresh salsa and lettuce wraps with produce straight out of the Silverton Market Garden! Tasting these delicious creations will of course be necessary and kids can show off their culinary skills! Don't miss out

Fairy Garden Party on July 26

Use your wings and fly over to The Oregon Garden on Tuesday July 26th for a party!

The Junior Gardener's Club presents "Fairy Garden Party" at 10 a.m. on July 26th - location will be the Children's Garden.

NOTE: we will still meet if it is raining - we'll just move our party indoors!

Join Nancy and crew from The Party Fairies will be leading activities including face painting, fairy stories under the bower, and creating a fairy garden to take home. Children will also decorate a wand of their own.

Fans of all things fairy may want to consider having a Fairy Party of their own - Nancy has a variety of party options and suggestions. Also, if you are considering creating a fairy garden at your own home, check out this segment from the show "Fusion," a show produced by our friends at Gustin Creative Group (who put out Garden Time TV).

Wings and fairy costumes are encouraged on Tuesday....we look forward to seeing you there.

Tickets:

Junior Gardener's Club members and Oregon Garden members - Free

Non-members: $5 program fee per child, plus any applicable Garden admission needed.

Questions? Contact the Membership Department at 503-874-2533 or by email at membership@oregongarden.org

Summer Programs begin July 12th

Looking for something fun AND educational for your children this summer? Bring them to the Junior Gardener's Club summer programs at The Oregon Garden!

Summer programs will occur on Tuesdays beginning July 12th and run through August 16th. Each program will begin at 10 a.m. and will meet in the Children's Garden.

July 12th - Fiber Arts with Celia Stapleton of Silverton's The Purl District

Finger knitting, dyeing wools naturally and exploring creative fiber arts are on the agenda for this program.

July 19th - Zumba for Kids

Get moving and shaking with a fun session of Zumba, taught by Silverton Fitness instructors. Dance and have fun in the Children's Garden while learning some new dance moves.

July 26th - Fairy Garden Party

Grab your wings and float into the Children's Garden for a Fairy Garden Party! Listen to fairy lore under the bower, decorate your own wand, and create a fairy garden to take home.

August 2nd - Clean Water Explorers

Exploring the water of the A-Mazing Water Garden, you will learn how to test for organisms in the water and take a close up look at what might be swimming in the water. Taught by Ron Crouse of Marion County Soil and Water District.

August 9th - Zumba Returns

Zumba returns to the Children's Garden! Dancing and keeping healthy at the same time - great fun for kids!

August 16th - Teddy Bear Picnic with Puppet Show

Invite your best Teddy Bear friend to this festival of fun, including a Teddy Bear parade, light snacks, and a return of Penny Puppet Productions, presenting "Ted E. Bear's Picnic"

For information about drop-in rates, Junior Gardener's Club membership or programs, contact the Membership Department at 503-874-2533 or membership@oregongarden.org

Geo-caching: Fun Family Adventure

The Junior Gardener's Club will host "Geo-caching: Searching for Hidden Treasure" on Saturday July 9th at 10 a.m. in the Children's Garden.

Learn about coordinates and gps units in this fun treasure hunt program. Caches will be scattered around the garden for Club members to find. We will begin our program with an introduction to geo-caching and using gps...then we will break into groups to use what we have learned and search for caches!

GPS units will be available but if you have one of your own, feel free to bring it.

Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.

For more information about geo-caching, visit http://www.geocaching.com/

Forest Science Wonders on June 11th

On Saturday, June 11th, the Junior Gardener's Club will partner with the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) to present a fun learning program: Forest Science Wonders.

We will be exploring in The Oregon Garden's Rediscovery Forest - What does a tree ring tell us? Do all trees grow the same? Come discover with the Oregon Forest Resources Institute

all the wonders of trees. Learn how to distinguish our common trees of Oregon. Use scientific tools to take a look inside a tree's life cycle and discover how people can influence the diversity and habitat of a forest.

Check out these sites for more forest and tree activities:

http://www.oregonforests.org/Education/K-12.html

http://www.safnet.org/education/forestryfun.cfm

For more information about OFRI, visit: http://www.oregonforests.org/

Meet in the Children's Garden at 10 a.m. We will then move to the Rediscovery Forest. Program will take approximately 1 hour.

Summer Programs at The Oregon Garden

The Oregon Garden is proud to announce the addition of six Junior Gardener's Club programs this summer. Programs will occur on consecutive Tuesdays, each beginning at 10 a.m. in the Children's Garden and lasting one hour.

July 12^th – Fiber Arts with Celia Stapleton of Silverton’s The Purl District

Finger knitting, dyeing wools naturally and exploring creative fiber arts are on the agenda for this program.

July 19^th – Zumba for Kids with Silverton Fitness instructors

Get moving and shaking with a fun session of Zumba. Dance and have fun in the Children’s Garden while learning some new dance moves.

July 26^th – Fairy Garden Party

Grab your wings and float into the Children’s Garden for a Fairy Garden Party! Listen to fairy lore under the bower, decorate your own wand, and create a fairy garden to take home.

August 2^nd – Clean Water Explorers

Exploring the water of the A-Mazing Water Garden, you will learn how to test for organisms in the water and take a close up look at what might be swimming in the water.

August 9^th – Zumba for Kids with Silverton Fitness instructors

Zumba returns to the Children’s Garden! Dancing and keeping healthy at the same time – great fun for kids.

August 16^th – Teddy Bear Picnic with Puppet Show

Invite your best Teddy Bear friend to this festival of fun, including a Teddy Bear parade, light snacks, and a return of Penny Puppet Productions presenting “Ted E. Bear’s Picnic”

All programs begin at 10 a.m. in the Children’s Garden. Junior Gardener’s Club members and Oregon Garden members receive free admission. Drop in rate for non-members is $5 plus applicable admission.

May 14th - How to Meet a Dog

The Willamette Humane Society will be presenting the "How to Meet a Dog" program at our next Junior Gardener's Club meeting on Saturday May 14th.

WHS’s humane education programs play a critical role in promoting the welfare of animals in our community. Their education programs encourage children and adults to develop and express attitudes of compassion, kindness, and respect for all living things.

Kids participating in the program will learn how to meet a dog and responsible pet care. Oregon Garden volunteer Jan Cooperman, who socializes dogs for the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization, will also be at the program, teaching about the Guide Dog program and will bring a couple of working dogs.

Join us Saturday May 14th at 10 a.m. in the Children's Garden!

Where Is Lilly the Catapilly? Puppet Show at The Oregon Garden

Everyone loves little Lilly the caterpillar, she is friends with everyone but one spring day when she was supposed to Go to a tea party, the loveable Lilly doesn’t show up. That’s when her friends go to look for her. Enjoy this musical Mystery and find out just what has happened to Lilly.

Join us on Saturday April 9th as the Junior Gardener's Club has a rockin' good time with the "Where is Lilly the Catapillly?" puppet show, presented by Penny Puppet Productions. Show begins at 10 a.m. in the OSU Room of the Pavilion. Check in at the Visitor Center.

About Penny:

Penny Walter has her Masters in Early Childhood Education. Her Masters Thesis was on “Teaching with Puppets." She taught in the Portland area schools before deciding to follow her dream and became a full time puppeteer and storyteller. From 2002-2006 she was the Resident Puppeteer at the Portland Children’s Museum. She has ongoing relationships with the Portland Public School district and head start programs as well as area libraries and is an Artist in Health Care at Emanual Children’s Hospital. Penny’s Puppet shows, utilize audience participation, and instill the love of music, language, and stimulate the imagination. They naturally support emotional development, improve listening skills, and develop awareness and appreciation of the similarities of all people (and puppets). She teaches Puppetry classes & workshops for teachers, children, families, and other professional groups, in addition to performing at festivals, libraries, schools and Private events.

Visit Penny's website here:http://www.pennypuppets.com/

For more fun learning about caterpillars and their mysterious ways, visit these sites:

http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/life-cycle

And if you love the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, visit author Eric Carle's website here:

http://www.eric-carle.com/ You'll find games, coloring pages and more!

Kids learn about Greenhouses on March 12th

This Saturday, March 12th, the Junior Gardener's Club will learn all about greenhouses.

Horticulture Staff from the Oregon Garden will teach attendees about how plants grow in greenhouses and why greenhouses are important. We will go over the growing cycle - how plants start out as seeds and change into larger, leafy plants! We will tour the Tropical House at The Oregon Garden and will plant a mini-greenhouse of their own to take home!

Don't miss the fun!!!

Saturday March 12th

10 a.m., Education Center

$5 per child (non-member); Free for Members

Tropical House at The Oregon Garden

Additional activities you can do at home:

http://www.education.com/activity/article/Soda_Bottle_Greenhouse/

http://www.ehow.com/list_6319286_science-nature-activities-kids.html

http://www.greenwing.org/newgreenwing/activities/Copy%20of%20plant_grow/seed_grow.htm

Books on how seeds grow:

http://www.amazon.com/Seed-Grows-Lets-Read-Find-Out-Science/dp/0064451070/ref=pd_sim_b_2

Vote for The Oregon Garden

Hey Junior Gardener's Club members, we need you to help The Oregon Garden win a $10,000 grant from Rain Bird.

The project with the most votes by March 22, 2011 will win the grant for the most Intelligent Use of Water. Our grant proposal is for funding for the Wetlands at The Oregon Garden.

The wetlands at The Oregon Garden represent a unique partnership between The Garden and the nearby city of Silverton to recycle treated wastewater from the community. Treated water is piped to The Garden where it charges the wetland area and provides The Garden's irrigation water. These man-made wetlands also help replace naturally occurring wetlands that have been lost to recent development. Here at The Oregon Garden we have created almost 25 acres of new wetland area.

The most prominent wetland feature in The Garden itself is the 4 acre site consisting of 15 linked ponds. These ponds are flooded with treated wastewater from Silverton. After the wastewater goes through secondary treatment, it is pumped through 16" pipe to The Garden. Depending on the time of day and irrigation needs, between 100 and 400 gallons of water are pumped per minute.

Not only does this innovative water feature provide irrigation for The Garden and wetland mitigation for the city, it also offers educational experiences for more than 100,000 annual visitors to The Oregon Garden. Each year 6,000 5^th Grade students learn about “Amazing Aqua Life” with the wetlands as their living classroom.

Help us win this grant by voting every day! You can vote once per day per computer.

How to Vote:

1. Go to http://www.iuowawards.com/Default.aspx

2. Click on "find and vote on the project you want funded"

3. Put "Silverton" in the city/state search field

4. Click on the Thumbs Up symbol for the "Wetlands Treated Waste Water" project to cast your vote.

5. Come back every day and vote!

We'll let you know if we win the grant...Thank you for your help!

Fun with Lewis & Clark

Follow the links below for some exploring fun with Lewis & Clark.

On The Scholastic Website:

Mapman Game - Answer questions about the Lewis & Clark expedition

What to Pack? - Have you ever packed for a long trip away from home? If so, you probably spent time thinking about what kind of clothes to bring, what kind of books or toys to carry, what sort of medicine you might need, and trying to remember all the little things that you've forgotten.

Make a Specimen Box - As Lewis and Clark went on their expedition west, they found lots of new plants, animals and minerals that they had never seen before. President Thomas Jefferson had told Lewis and Clark that they should send examples of these new finds back to him.

More information on the Smithsonian Education Website:

Lewis & Clark Timeline

Great for homeschoolers - Animal Encounters lesson plan (grades 3-5)

Check out the PBS website section on Lewis & Clark!

Visit the Interactive Trail Map - click on the different states to see information about the Expedition in that state.

Have fun exploring the Lewis & Clark expedition...we'll explore more on February 12th!

Membership Benefits

Just a quick note to talk about the benefits of the Junior Gardener's Club membership at The Oregon Garden...

Benefits include free admission for the member (your child) and one adult guest (does not have to be the same adult each time) for a full year from the month you join.

Also included is an official membership card with your child's name and a 10% discount at the Gift Shop and Cafe.

You also receive free admission to the monthly activities (see list below!). Club T-shirts are also available for only $10.

2011 Programs

February 12, 2011

Program: Explore Like Lewis & Clark

About the Program: Experience the famous expedition of Lewis & Clark…a dress uniform with hat, a beaver skin, a grizzly bear footprint, a journal with quills and powdered ink, a prickly pear and many other items. Take an explorer’s walk around the Garden.

March 12, 2011

Program: Grow Your Own Greenhouse

About the Program: Join Oregon Garden Horticulture staff as they help kids create a greenhouse of their very own. Kids will plant seeds and create small greenhouses to take home.

April 9, 2011

Program: Penny’s Puppet Productions presents “Where is Lilly the Catapilly?”

About the Program: Everyone loves little Lilly the caterpillar! She is friends with everyone but one spring day when she was supposed to go to a tea party, the loveable Lilly doesn’t show up. That’s when her friends go to look for her. Enjoy this musical Mystery and find out just what has happened to Lilly.

May 14, 2011

Program: Four Legged Friends: How to Meet a Dog & Guide Dogs for the Blind

About the Program: Children encounter dogs at the homes of their friends, on the street, or at a park. Dogs share our lives and accompany people on many outings. The Willamette Humane Society’s Kind Kids program will show how to safely meet a dog – an important lesson for every child to know. What dogs need is an important lesson in responsible pet ownership.

June 11, 2011

Program: Forest Science Wonders

About the Program: What does a tree ring tell us? Do all trees grow the same? Come discover with the Oregon Forest Resources Institute all the wonders of trees. Learn how to distinguish our common trees of Oregon. Use scientific tools to take a look inside a trees lifecycle and discover how people can influence the diversity and habitat of a forest.

July 9, 2011

Program: Geocaching Adventure: Searching for Hidden Treasure

Location: Children’s Garden

About the Program: Explore the garden with a GPS unit…Family friendly geocaching will be the activity of the day. Groups will learn how to use the gps then search the grounds of The Oregon Garden to find great surprises!

August 13, 2011

Program: Let’s Make Music! Junk Jam

About the Program: Mark Powers will show that any ordinary object can indeed be a musical instrument – five gallon pails, garbage cans, automotive brake drums and soda can shakers. In merely seconds, kids will transform these “found sounds” into intense rhythms- at the same time developing creativity, listening and communication skills.

September 10, 2011

Program: Chef Kids Make Salsa!

About the Program: Join the Merry Kitchen, a home-based cooking school that focuses on teaching kids to cook, at the Oregon Garden as we create dishes picked right from the garden. We will be walking around the garden collecting food we need. Next we will be creating homemade salsa and lettuce wraps grown right at Oregon Garden! Julie from the Merry Kitchen will be teaching the kids about creating their own salsa. We'll also use beets and apples from the garden, mix them with select seasoning and herbs and roll them up in a lettuce leaf harvested from the garden. Finally, we'll get to eat our own creations!

October 8, 2011

Program: Be Safe – Fire Safety

About the Program: Visit with Oregon Department of Forestry firefighters and local firefighters – and their trucks! Learn to Stop, Drop & Roll and how to be safe in case of fire.

November 12, 2011

Program: Art Making in the Garden

About the Program: Artists from the Silverton Art Association will facilitate a variety of art media, using the gardens as inspiration. Leaf rubbings, watercolors and more.

December 10, 2011

Program: The Reptile Man

About the Program: Richard Ritchey, The Reptile Man, has an extraordinary array of snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises, and will feature 15-20 reptiles from diverse habitats. Come learn about the habits and fun facts of these amazing animals.

Explore Lewis and Clark's Journey

The adventure and explorations of William Lewis and Meriwether Clark are an important part of Oregon's history. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was the first expedition of an overland nature that was taken in the United States to the Pacific Coast and then back.

The team of explorers was headed by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis, and it was assisted by Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife, Sacajawea. The goal of the mission was to get a better understanding of the resources that would be exchanged in the Louisiana Purchase. This expedition laid a part of the groundwork for the westward expansion of the United States of America.

For more information about Lewis & Clark, check out the Discovering Lewis & Clark website.

The Junior Gardener's Club will be exploring the life of Lewis & Clark on February 12th at 10 a.m. The Historical Outreach Program will be bringing its Discovery Box full of materials, tools, and other items that Lewis & Clark would have used on their journey. Stories of the adventure will be told and we will take a walk to the Lewis & Clark Garden, located in The Oregon Garden near the Silverton Market Garden.

Don't miss the fun...sign up today! Call 503-874-2533 for more information or to reserve a spot.

To join the Junior Gardener's Club and receive a full year of programs, visit www.oregongarden.org