Children in Nature Quarterly: Spring 2026
- Paula Jordan
- Jun 25
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 26
This spring the Growing Center hosted twelve field field trips for students ages 3-17 from Somerville High School, local preschools, area elementary schools and scout groups.
Our younger visitors learned about the needs of plants and local birds and also how to say hello to a worm (gently, very gently). They also walked the “bridge,” ran up and down pathways exploring elements of healthy risk taking, “camped” out under the yews and learned plant identification with herbs in the mint family.
Our younger visiting students explored, learned about herbs and met some worms!
Older students explored the various community services the garden provides, while scouts learned about compost and planted beans and squash to accompany Sister Corn as part of a Three Sisters Garden. We shared plant/pollinator connections, gathered herbs for home cooking and several students made plans to come back and help pull garlic in early July!
SHS students gathered herb and flower bouquets and learned about pollinators.
Additionally, Somerville Family Learning Collaborative (SFLC), Dandelion Montessori, Pooh and Friends Learning Center and Early Head Start groups visited regularly through the spring. A parent/baby yoga group offered by SFLC welcomed the newest little visitors and their caregivers to the garden. And on Thursday and Friday afternoons in June, volunteer Adia-Sophia Kralovic offered Storytime Sessions and Reading with Plants programs.
Reading with Plants and Storytime programs led by one of our volunteers in June.
Caregiver/baby yoga class offered through the Somerville Family Learning Collab.
This summer, Growing Center staff, Board members and volunteers will participate at several Plant a Seed, Read programs at the Somerville Public Library as part of their Summer Reading Program. We’ll also be welcoming elementary-aged students attending the SPELL program for multilingual learners for the month of July for nature learning and exploration.
SPELL multilingual learners summer program students in the garden, 2025.
Paula Jordan is the Growing Center's Site Manager and Children in Nature Initiative Coordinator.
It's truly wonderful to see SHS students experiencing firsthand the harvesting of herbs and learning about pollinators right in the garden, instead of just sitting in the classroom. These highly educational extracurricular activities not only help students appreciate nature more but also enrich their biological knowledge in a very natural and lively way. Seeing them excited with their bouquets of flowers and herbs makes me feel uplifted, just like when I discover the unique melodies in a Sprunky game. I'd like to ask if these pollination-related activities are organized annually for all age groups or are they only for SHS students, because I think this is a very worthwhile educational model to replicate.
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