Summer Sprouts at Green Spring Gardens
By Kai Amani, Youth and Family Education Coordinator
Summer at Green Spring has been full of new energy now that camp season is underway. Our Education Team have loved welcoming so many new campers, and just as many familiar faces. One of the best parts of this summer has been seeing returning campers grow into new programs and become caring stewards for our new campers. Watching their confidence, imagination, and social skills blossom from year to year is such a gift.
We introduced a few new camps this season, including Jr. Gardeners, which quickly became a hit. Campers spent the week digging into what makes a garden healthy and learning about all the layers that keep an ecosystem thriving. Thanks to our wonderful Master Gardeners, our campers got hands on experiences with compost, pollinator habitats, and even some of the wildlife that calls the gardens home. Parents and campers told us again and again how much they loved the program, and how much they hope to see it return next year.
We also ran a double week of our Fairies & Gnomes camp, and it brought every bit of magic you’d expect. Campers kept their eyes and ears open each day, hoping to spot one of our mystical friends tucked somewhere in the Fairy Forest. They found fairy houses hidden high and low, created their own woodland wonders, and even got a surprise visit from some very stealthy gnomes. Our campers let music and imagination carry them through the week, and it ended on an especially cheerful note.
The school year is just around the corner, which means our field trip season will be starting up again soon. We’re looking to bring on new volunteers who want to help support the learning and exploration that happens here every day. Volunteers are a huge part of what makes Green Spring Gardens so special. It truly does take a village.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call the Horticulture Center at 703-642-5173.
Photo Credits: Mia Winn
