Junior Master Gardeners Start Digging

Monday was the first sprout of our 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Day Camp. 12 youth between the ages of 9-13 arrived ready to get dirty and learn about everything related to green. After starting off making their rules and consequences the youth dug right in and learned about taking soil samples. They split up into three groups and went outside to practice using the soil probe and mixing samples to put in their boxes.

Then back inside to talk high tech plants. Okay maybe not high tech but they were definitely designer plants. The question was asked can every part of a hamburger be grown? Of course, so if this is the case what does a hamburger plant look like? The youth each designed their own version of a hamburger plant and shared their theories on what it would include.

Then after creating plants they had a chance to dissect plants. Flowers to be specific. They youth took apart flowers and greenery to put into a homemade plant press. At the end of the week the youth will use the pressed flowers to create cards, paper and other artwork.

Dissecting flowers was followed by an activity to grow plants. Does it take a special type of container to grow a plant or can you grow it in anything, like maybe an old stocking? Well we will find out in about five days. The youth made grass people, each with their own personality, facial features, and in five days will have all sorts of green grass growing from the top of their heads that can be cut, shaped, and give their little people even more personality. Although lots of fun, the youth learned something in the process, that all plants need four essential things; water, sun, soil and food to survive.

After playing in the dirt it was time to talk germs. Before lunch we talked about where germs come from and how to properly wash our hands. To demonstrate each youth placed a little glow germ gel on their hands and placed them under a black light to see the germs on their hands. Then they ran to the bathroom to wash their hands the proper way before coming back in to check again under the black light to make sure all the germs were gone.

After lunch it was time to get messy again. The youth learned about recycling by making grow cards. They tore up pieces of used paper, placed it in a blender with water and created paper pulp. then they placed the pulp in cookie cutters and pressed the water out of it. The youth then put seeds in the pressed pulp and they have set it aside to dry for the next couple of days before giving their creations as gifts. The recycled grow cards can be planted and the seeds will sprout. The paper is biodegradable and will act as a mulch for the seeds until it dissolves into the soil.

Did you know pineapples grow on trees? Well our Junior Master Gardener Day Campers know this now and how to repot one, and plant a new one. They learned that it will take about two years to grow a pineapple which will probably not be as big as the ones they find in the stores but it will be just as sweet and tasty. After planting the top of our pineapple it seemed only fair that we all sampled some of our fresh pineapple and it was scrumptious.

Plants have more than nutritional power they also have healing power as our JMG's now know. The youth got to examine an aloe plant up close and learned about the healing powers this plant has with burns. Then they dissected some leaves and squeezed the aloe into lotion to create their very own aloe lotion that they took home.

Before the end of the day we took a few moments to play a couple of team working games including human knot. The game allows the youth to work on team building communication, and creative problem solving as they try to untangle themselves without letting go.

Tomorrow we are headed to the Life Sciences Museum in Durham to check out butterflies, insects and all sorts of cool stuff that will help us increase out knowledge.