Campus News

State Botanical Garden to participate in Let’s Move! Museums and Gardens

The State Botanical Garden will participate in Let’s Move! Museums and Gardens, an initiative supported by first lady Michelle Obama and national museum and botanical garden leaders that aims to engage 20 million young people in activities and programs in the next year.

Let’s Move! will provide opportunities for museum and garden visitors nationwide to learn about healthy food choices and will promote physical activity through interactive exhibits and programs.

An estimated 250,000 visitors come to the State Botanical Garden each year to walk through the developed gardens and miles of nature trails. Families come to the garden for outings and students come to the garden for school field trips, summer camps, family festivals, organized walks and hikes and as part of the garden’s after-school programs.

“Last month we had more than 150 participants in a 5k trail run, followed by an organized family hike,” said Anne Shenk, director of education at the botanical garden. “Our annual family festivals, such as Insectival!, provide excellent opportunities for hands-on science lessons.”

“Children are much more likely to eat vegetables if they are involved in growing them,” said Wilf Nicholls, director of the garden. “Children are also more likely to be active if the outdoors is seen as a place of discovery, beauty and fun. Botanical gardens not only have a unique opportunity to instill the love of nature in children, we have a social responsibility to do so. Because of this, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia supports Let’s Move! wholeheartedly.”