kitschy

*hug* that uber-sucks.

That really means a lot to me... I've often looked back over my posts with a sort of "who the heck is going to read that novel??" And even after editing two, three, or twenty times, can't think of anything to remove. It makes me feel better that, while long-winded, at least they're not painful to read.

There are LOTS of ways you can use horticulture to reach kids - you could show teachers how to start and maintain classroom gardens with their students (indoors or out), and how to use those gardens to teach across all content areas (weather, butterfly and plant life cycles, art, appreciation of nature, creative and nonfiction writing, dance, music... the list goes on). Even if you don't want to work with children, you can work with educators to develop hands-on learning exercises that support state mandated goals and standards.

I'm working with the North Carolina Botanical Garden to help develop lesson plans for field trips. I've pretty much determined that I want a garden of some sort with my kids when I'm teaching - I know a teacher who has a butterfly garden for monarchs. Every year he brings in some of the eggs laid in the outdoor garden (maintained by the class) so his second graders can watch them develop and turn into butterflies. They release them at the end (versus the kits you can buy that force you to kill the butterflies after they transform). I feel like all most kids get is the stupid lima bean sprout you do in second grade then throw away. Why not have a veggie garden and let the kids actually see where food comes from and get to enjoy the literal fruits of their labor? More people in specialized fields should be involved in education in some way or another! You guys are invaluable resources to classroom teachers!