Tag Archive for: Education

Young Artists in the Garden

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Children and parents will have a blast getting inspired by nature and engaging the senses at Young Artists in the Garden! Each week, this drop-in program includes activities like coloring, reading books, making a craft and playing games – all relating to a new garden topic. Bring a friend and join the fun in the Weisbrod Learning Pavilion, located in the Garden of the Five Senses.


Young Artists in the Garden is included with regular daily admission. Don’t forget – members visit free!

For details or questions about Young Artists in the Garden, please email Gina Walter (Education & Volunteer Coordinator) at gwalter@pittsburghbotanicgarden.org.

Cathedral: The Fight to Save the Ancient Hemlocks of Cook Forest

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In honor of Arbor Day, join us at the Garden for a screening of the movie Cathedral: The Fight to Save the Ancient Hemlocks of Cook Forest created by Wild Excellence Films. This program includes the 21-minute movie followed by a Q&A with Garden staff. The movie screening is free with admission, but please register as space is limited!

About the Film

The story of the efforts to save the hemlock trees of Cook Forest State Park, Pennsylvania, which are under attack by the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), a destructive insect discovered in Cook Forest in 2013. The insect has already killed thousands of trees in the eastern United States. The documentary includes interviews with park staff and is narrated by Old-Growth Forest Network founder Joan Maloof. The film takes the viewer on a journey through the forest in all seasons and shows the important work being done by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry.

This program is free with the cost of regular daily admission, but registration is required in advance for capacity purposes. There will be a 12:30pm and 3:15pm screening. Please register online below.

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Program suitable for adults, or children under age 18 years old, if accompanied by an adult. This program is located in the upper level of the Davidson Event Center.

Cathedral: The Fight to Save the Ancient Hemlocks of Cook Forest

/in , ,

In honor of Arbor Day, join us at the Garden for a screening of the movie Cathedral: The Fight to Save the Ancient Hemlocks of Cook Forest created by Wild Excellence Films. This program includes the 21-minute movie followed by a Q&A with Garden staff. The movie screening is free with admission, but please register as space is limited!

About the Film

The story of the efforts to save the hemlock trees of Cook Forest State Park, Pennsylvania, which are under attack by the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), a destructive insect discovered in Cook Forest in 2013. The insect has already killed thousands of trees in the eastern United States. The documentary includes interviews with park staff and is narrated by Old-Growth Forest Network founder Joan Maloof. The film takes the viewer on a journey through the forest in all seasons and shows the important work being done by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry.

This program is free with the cost of regular daily admission, but registration is required in advance for capacity purposes. There will be a 12:30pm and 3:15pm screening. Please register online below.

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Program suitable for adults, or children under age 18 years old, if accompanied by an adult. This program is located in the upper level of the Davidson Event Center.

Supporting Backyard Pollinator Habitats

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It’s National Pollinator Week! If you’re concerned about pollinators – and who shouldn’t be?! – one of the best and easiest actions you can take to assist them is to provide a space for them in your own garden. Join us as Education & Exhibits Director, Dr. Mark Miller, examines the essential elements and features that pollinators need to not only survive but thrive. Plants that grow well in western Pennsylvania and provide food, shelter and/or egg-laying for pollinators will be featured. The lecture will be followed by a plant walk in the Hillside Pollinator Garden.


Members $10  |  Nonmembers $15


About the Instructor

Dr. Mark Miller is the Education & Exhibits Director at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. He earned his Ph.D. in Environment & Natural Resources at The Ohio State University and has over 40 years experience working as a landscape designer, tree crop specialist, educator, and director at botanical institutions and associations around the country.


Please be sure you have signed in to receive member registration discount.

Botany Walk & Talk

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Join Doug Oster from Gardening with Doug, and Dr. Mark Miller, Education & Exhibits Director, for a walk through the gardens and woodlands of Pittsburgh Botanic Garden to view and learn about the wondrous plants found here! This program’s focus will be on plants that shine in spring. There will be copious amounts of witty banter and plant-nerdy conversations. The tour will be followed by a delicious lunch featuring fresh, seasonal produce.

Also – it’s almost time to plant annuals, tropicals and much of your edible plants. Doug will wax lyrical about his favorite seasonal plants and produce – and will have some seeds/seedlings of lesser-known gems.


Members $45  |  Nonmembers $55


About the Instructor

Doug Oster is a writer, radio and television host, and Emmy-winning producer. He currently hosts The Organic Gardener Radio Show every Sunday morning at 7am on KDKA Radio, and writes feature articles for Pittsburgh Earth Day’s Green Voice e-newsletter.

Dr. Mark Miller is the Education & Exhibits Director at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. He earned his Ph.D. in Environment & Natural Resources at The Ohio State University and has over 40 years experience working as a landscape designer, tree crop specialist, educator, and director at botanical institutions and associations around the country.


Please be sure you have signed in to receive member registration discount.

Fairy Garden Camp

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Create your very own magical fairy garden to take home! Take a look in the nooks and crannies of the Garden to try to spot some magical garden fairies. Enjoy stories about fairies, make your own wand and set of wings, and eat a fairy-themed snack as you create your own fairy garden.


Members $60 | Nonmembers $70  (Please sign in to receive member discount)


About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.


Camp Details

This is a 1-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, participants will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Geocaching 101 Camp

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Experience a whole new way to explore Pittsburgh Botanic Garden through geocaching! If geocaching is new to you, this camp will introduce you to this easy and fun use of technology in finding hidden items. We will seek out the geocaches at the Garden and will provide the tools and techniques needed to go geocaching wherever you find yourself in the world. Campers will learn how to use GPS receivers and a compass, as well as the geocaching app that can be used on smartphones.


Members $60 | Nonmembers $70  (Please sign in to receive member discount)


About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.


Camp Details

This is a 1-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

International Mud Day

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Celebrate International Mud Day at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden! International Mud Day strives to bring children from all over the world together through the ground by allowing them to play in the mud. Families all over the world celebrate International Mud Day by getting really muddy and observing nature, the outdoors, and mess. Dress for mess and bring a towel. Accompanying adults may watch from a clean distance or participate in the muddy wonderfulness.


This program is included with the price of regular daily admission, free for Garden members!

Details

Please dress for a mess and bring a towel and/or change of clothes. There will be an area to rinse off and an area to change clothes. Children, 17 years old and under, must be accompanied by an adult over age 18. This is not a drop-off program. Accompanying adults may watch from a distance, or participate in the muddy fun!

Natural Egg Dyeing

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Spend a Sunday afternoon enjoying a free, fun family activity! Join Pittsburgh Botanic Garden educators to learn how plants can be used to make natural dyes. Participants will choose between dyes made from beets, cabbage, onion skins, turmeric, or blueberries to decorate two one-of-a-kind eggs! While your egg is submerged in the dye, create and decorate a basket to carry your eggs home.

Participants will also learn about oviparous animals (animals that lay eggs) through games, books and displays. All materials are provided while supplies last!


This program is included with regular daily admission – free for members! Not a member? Click here to join today!


About the Instructors

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Nature Adventure Camp

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Enjoy a 4-day camp full of fun exploration of the various habitats at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Ecosystems that will be investigated include the Lotus Pond (aquatic), the Margaret Lawrence Simon Dogwood Meadow, Allegheny Plateau Woodlands and Carbon Cycle: An Earth Art Exhibit (an earth art exhibition in a formerly strip-mined area). Campers will try their hand in pond dipping, bird watching, insect collecting, tree identification, nature journaling and free play. Bring a bag lunch every day. Dress for the weather as we will be outside exploring most of the time! 


Members $165 | Nonmembers $185  (Please sign in to receive member discount)


About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.


Camp Details

This is a 4-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.