Mass Hort's School Garden Conference

February 19th (Blizzard-date Feb 20)

9 am - 4 pm 

 Gardens at Elm Bank, Wellesley, Mass

This conference is intended for school teachers, administrators, garden club mentors, librarians, parents, preservationists and civic organizations. Speakers will share expertise and experience on topics including logistical planning, nutrition, curriculum connections, and garden design. 

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society is the oldest Hort Society in the country.  In 1891, Mass Hort established a committee on school gardens, leading the School Garden Movement through Boston, and growing a movement through the nation. The movement encouraged students to work in the open air, work together across different ages, observe the wonders of plant science, and develop life skills as they collectively decided how to raise their gardens. Mass Hort offered guidance, prizes and opportunities to show off the fruits of their hard work. 

 We are excited to announce a return to our organizational roots by inspiring a 21st century passion for horticultural enrichment beyond the classroom, into the schoolyard and lunchroom. 

The day will featuring speakers and topics that explore regional best practices for planning a garden that will endure seasons and administration changes, meet educational goals and serve generations of healthy, growing children. 

Recent studies show that on average, kids today know fewer than 10 animals and plants in their own backyards at the same time that they recognize over 1,000 corporate logos. To help reverse that trend, 2015 is “The Year of the Child” at Mass Hort. In the year ahead, our non-profit will grow our efforts to create a free online school gardens template, educational programs and an on-site family learning guide. Our goal is to help communities rediscover their local horticultural and culinary traditions. Together, with your help, we hope to cultivate outdoor classrooms and seed libraries that will enrich each town’s understanding and stewardship of its horticultural inheritance for generations to come.    

We would like to thank our co-sponsoring organizations for their: the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Mass Ag in the Classrom, Mass Master Gardeners, Slow Food Boston, and Slow Food USA. 

For a schedule and list of speakers, please go here.

 
The cost of the conference:

Member Registration (members of Mass Hort, students and co-sponsoring organizations) $25 on or before January 20

$35 after Tuesday January 20, 2015

Non-Member Registration $35 on or before January 20

$45 after Tuesday January 20, 2015 

 

Cost of registration includes lunch. Thank you to Chipotle Mexican Grill for support and lunch, and thank you to Starbucks Wellesley for providing complementary coffee.