June, 2015 – Mounts Botanical Garden Launches Summer Camp

(West Palm Beach, FL – March 30, 2015) Allen Sistrunk, Garden Director of Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach, today announced the launch of the garden’s first summer camp for children: Mounts Nature Camp: Pirates in the Garden.

“Parents are always looking for positive, educational experiences for their kids during the summer time, so we at Mounts are inviting them to discover the magic of the garden,” says Sistrunk.  “The first Mounts Nature Camp promises to be full of adventure, discovery, creativity and fun as children explore the world around them using a mix of nature exploration, science activities, art, stories, and games on our 14 beautiful acres.”

“Because South Florida is steeped in buccaneer history, the first Mounts Nature Camp will have a pirate them,” he adds. “Taking that spirit of adventure, our Garden Story Pirates will guide youngsters on a voyage discovering magical spaces throughout Mounts Botanical Garden. We will embark on a Treasure Trek exploring the natural environment and learning the stories behind unusual botanicals. Each of our programs offers playful and creative opportunities for children to utilize their powers of observation and spirit of adventure through nature exploration, science activities, art in the garden, stories, and games. Each day will be filled with outdoor hands-on activities and time to create art. Our goal is to balance curiosity-driven free time with content-based activities that incorporate both structured and self-directed learning. And, of course, we promise to make it fun!”

The Mounts Nature Camp will offer three concurrent sessions for K–1st graders, 2nd and 3rd graders, and 4th and 5th graders, running for two weeklong segments (Monday through Friday, 9 am, to 2:30 pm), June 8-12 and June 15-19.

“Participating children will gather garden materials to create art projects and work together on collaborative creations,” says Sistrunk. “Each day will be filled with outdoor explorations, hands-on activities, and time to create art. At Mounts Nature Camp, we will balance curiosity-driven free time with content-based activities that incorporate both structured and self-directed learning. And, of course, we make it fun!”

The cost to enroll for Mounts Nature Camp is $125 per week for Mounts members and $175 for nonmembers. Financial scholarships are available. To sign up, please contact Program Coordinator Rochelle Ibanez Wolberg by phone (561.233.1730) or email ([email protected]). The deadline to enroll is June 5, 2015.

With a mission to inspire the public, Mounts Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest botanical garden, offering gorgeous displays of tropical and sub-tropical plants, plus informative classes, workshops, and other fun-filled events. The Garden contains more than 2,000 species of plants, including Florida native plants, exotic and tropical fruit trees, herbs, palms, bromeliads and more.  Mounts Botanical Garden is a facility of the Palm Beach County Extension Service, which is in partnership with the University of Florida and the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden.