Crosby Arboretum to hold nature journal workshop

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, June 27, 2018

On Thursday, the Crosby Arboretum will hold another summer Children’s Craft Workshop to teach children how to make their own nature journals.

Crosby Arboretum Director Pat Drackett said children will be making notebooks they can use to document what they see in nature. She said the goal of this program is to help children be more observant while encouraging them to spend time outdoors.

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Plus, “when you find [the journal] when you’re 80-years-old you’ll think it’s pretty neat,” Drackett said.

Children will use provided materials to design and create their own journal. Each journal will include a small pocket where children can store things they find outside, Drackett said.

After the children are finished designing and building their journals, instructor Kim Johnson will take students through the Arboretum so they can look for flowers, plants, nuts and other things to store into the journal’s pouch that they can later trace or press.

Drackett said this is one of many summer workshop programs the Arboretum is hosting to get children outside and teach them how much fun nature can be.

“They are a great way to start children thinking about what they observe in nature and it’s a great way to record their observations while personalizing a little booklet that helps them keep track of what they see. It’s a great way for them to get away from their electronic devices and interface with the outdoors,” Drackett said.

Drackett said since the program is limited to 20 children, anyone who is interested in attending should sign up by Wednesday. There is no minimum age requirement, but all children should be accompanied by an adult.

According to the Arboretum’s website, the price for members’ children will be $3 and the price for non-members’ children will be $5. All materials will be provided.

There is no fee for adults who are accompanying children. The workshop will be held Thursday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. For more information, or to make a reservation, the Arboretum can be reached at 601-799-2311.