Garden Exploration Kit

START DATE:DUE DATE:STATUS:Open

Background

Now that you’ve created a pollinator garden and have learned about different pollinators, it’s time to do some exploring! In this activity, you’ll have the opportunity to create your very own Garden Exploration Kit that you can take with you on your adventures in the garden. Before you create your Kit, come up with some ideas of what will go in it. Think about:

What things could you include that would be helpful for observing pollinators? Maybe a magnifying glass or an electronic identification guide like iNaturalist (where you can identify species and keep track of your observations).
What items could you include in your kit to help you record your observations? Maybe a notebook or camera.
What items could you bring to keep you comfortable and safe outside? Maybe a hat, water bottle, and sunscreen.
What other things could you put in your kit to help you enjoy the garden? Perhaps a book about pollinators or some art supplies.
What will you use to hold all the items in your kit? Maybe a backpack, shoebox, or basket.
How will you decorate your kit to make it personal? Maybe paste some magazine cutouts on the outside or add some drawings of your favourite pollinators or plants. Be creative!

Once your Garden Exploration Kit is ready, you’ll have some tools to help you spend more time in the garden. Spending time in nature is good for our physical health – being active in the garden exposes us to sunlight which increases our Vitamin D which contributes to the development of strong bones and teeth and other health benefits. Studies show that being exposed to soil exposes us to some microorganisms which could make our immune system stronger!

Spending time in the garden reduces stress and promotes mental health. Doing some gardening chores or playing in the garden puts our bodies to work and our brain releases endorphins which elevates our mood and makes us happier. In addition, hearing the birds’ chip and feeling the calming wind in the garden provides a soothing effect.

A visit to the garden with your class buddies would help you appreciate how your garden contributes to the wellbeing of pollinators and other wildlife. This creates a feeling of social responsibility for your environment and community and promote social interactions among peers. You might decide to spend some quite time in the garden documenting what you see, feel, smell, taste, or hear through journaling.

However you choose to spend your time in the garden, you might be tempted to do some digging and planting so remember to take your garden tool kit, journal and gear. The season of the year would suggest what gardening chores would be beneficial to your garden (see school garden calendar). Also, as you document your visit to the garden in your journal and take pictures of pollinators or other wildlife, remember to observe them quietly while watching their interactions with flowering plants and other elements in the garden (see chapter on wildlife photography for more information).

Task

Create your Garden Exploration Kit! Collect all of the items that you would like to include in your kit. Decorate the container that will hold your kit however you choose. Place all of your items into your container, and your Garden Exploration Kit is ready to go!

Here’s an example of some materials you might use and how you might decorate your kit. Get creative!

Materials

· Scrap paper/cardboard
· Pictures of plants or pollinators
· Pencil crayons, markers, crayons, or other art supplies
· Tape, safety pins, and/or glue
· Hole punch

Safety tips:

Ask a grown-up to help you use scissors and safety pins- they are sharp!
2. Once you’ve finished creating your Garden Exploration Kit, take it outside and spend some time exploring the garden.

What sounds can you hear? What colours and shapes do you see? What textures can you find? What wildlife do you see? How does it make you feel to be in the garden?

Use some materials in your Garden Exploration Kit to record your observations and thoughts.

3. Create and share your Garden Exploration Journal entry.

Learning Objectives

Understand the benefits of spending time in nature

Record observations in written form and using art

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