BERN TOWNSHIP, Pa. – A garden day camp is taking place this week at the Berks County Agriculture Center.
“I’ve always wanted to garden, and this year it’s getting more interesting to me,” says 10-year-old Andrew Kelly, who goes to Schuylkill Valley.
Kelly is among the first group of kids to attend the Garden Day Camp in its debut year.
The day camp is being put on by the Berks County Master Gardeners and 4H.
“Today we’re doing some in-depth lab activities around photosynthesis,” says Ann Marie Detavernier, the Master Gardener coordinator for Berks County.
“Chemistry can be kind of dry in a classroom setting, so learning about transpiration and how, when leaves are submerged underwater, there are bubbles of oxygen that you can actually see,” Detavernier said.
The master gardeners say youth programming is an important part of what they do.
An activity students participated in on Tuesday showed the natural pigments found inside the plants’ leaves, flowers, and stems, teaching campers about how to attract pollinators and make photosynthesis more efficient.
The four-day-long camp features different themes each day and includes several hands-on activities that help the kids learn more about best practices in gardening and environmental stewardship.
“Educating youth is something that 4H really has well organized,” says Detavernier.
“This is new to have us partner with them, and my master gardener volunteers are very excited about connecting with them,” she added.
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