Senses in the Garden

Take a tour of the garden using all five senses. Students will experience the sights, smells, sounds, textures, and tastes of materials found in the garden, and practice descriptive language and communication skills. 

Seed Study

Explore the life cycle of a plant through story and observation, with particular attention to seeds and their dispersal. After learning about the necessities of plant life, each student will construct a germination chamber and start an observation journal to take home and record the growth of their own seedling.

Soil Recipe

Students will make a soil recipe and plant their own seedling. Students will feel different components of the soil recipe (sphagnum, compost, vermiculite, sand) and learn what each does. Students will compare absorbency and density between soil components. 

Seed Study

Explore the life cycle of a plant through story and observation, with particular attention to seeds and their dispersal. After learning about the necessities of plant life, each student will construct a germination chamber and start an observation journal to take home and record the growth of their own seedling.

Life Cycles in the Garden

The life cycle of our plants, especially in the garden, is super important in order to plan the future of the garden and what we want to harvest when. Some plants grow faster than others, or they prefer later in the season, etc. This can allow us to use our plants the most efficiently in our garden beds and maximize the amount of things we can plant within a growing season.

Life Cycles in the Pond

Today, we will be looking in the pond for evidence of life cycles. Some insects, including mayflies and stoneflies begin their lives in the water. They do this for a few reasons (prevent competition between young and adults, dispersal) and often, the adults don’t even have mouth parts, since they only live a few weeks and the sole purpose of the adult stage is to disperse and lay eggs. 

Pollination and Flower Anatomy

Take a closer look at the anatomy of a flower and learn about the important interactions between flowers and pollinators. Students will dissect flowers and have a chance to become acquainted with a pollinator, learning about the adaptations that each have that make pollination possible. 

Pollinator Coevolution

Take a close look at the adaptations of pollinators and flowering plants and learn how they have coevolved. Students will perform a dissection of a flower, observe honeybee pollination adaptations, and observe pollination in action in the garden. 

Bug Biodiversity Blitz

Take on the role of ecologist to assess insect biodiversity at the gardens and learn about the benefits of conserving biodiversity. Students will collect samples, work in teams to identify insects, and assess biodiversity across different habitats at the garden.

Botany and Plant ID in the Garden

The garden can be a great place to practice identifying plants. Many of the families that we will go over are present in the wild, and certain species have been cultivated to make them ideal for agriculture and farming. Higher yield, better growth, disease resistance, and more characteristics that people have bred for over many many years have made these plants look different, but still often have the same identifying characteristics.

Evolutions, Adaptations and Anatomy

Take a tour of the garden, focusing on specific adaptations that plants have to be better equipped for their environment. We can talk about how we can change some conditions for these plants to allow them to survive here for a certain period of time. 

Ecological Niches

Explore Berkshire Botanical Garden and its wide range of habitats. At each stop, we will discover many ecological niches that are held by a variety of species. An ecological niche describes the role that a species plays in the environment, such as the things that something eats, the things that eat it, its position in the area, and much more.

Seed Saving

Come to Berkshire Botanical Garden and explore the different ways to save seeds from various plants! Ideal for late summer or fall. This hands-on activity will include great discussions about a plant's life cycle and how a seed is formed! 

Wreath Building

It is time to decorate for the chilly months! Wreaths are often made out of natural materials that are cold-hardy and can last sitting on the outside of your front door. We will use natural materials to build our beautiful winter wreaths. This activity is ideal for winter. 

Adaptations

Learn about different adaptations that plants in the garden have to survive, maximize energy, deter pests, and much more. We will explore the garden and learn about some adaptations of plants that we can use too!