Press Releases from Greater Philadelphia Gardens

CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY — (April 11, 2007) On Saturday, April 28, 2007, there’s no better place to celebrate Earth and Arbor Day than in the Camden Children’s Garden’s 4.5 acres of Spring Splendor. This is a great family event that pays tribute to Earth and Arbor Day with fun crafts, a treasure hunt, and a storybook reading as well as fun and educational activities. Enjoy "Eco" Dave’s Environmental Show: The Habits that Save Habitats. The show is a theatrical presentation about the environment, nature and our human impact on the planet. To celebrate Earth and Arbor Day, visitors can enjoy a ladybug release, create recycled art, learn about composting with our "wiggly worms" on display and plant tree seedlings to take home for their own gardens. The Garden has invited area environmental organizations to help teach us about the environment and conservation. Visitors can plant sunflower seeds in wacky recycled planters to take home. Learn about easy ways to save the Earth from the Garden’s Youth Environmental Advocate Program Participants. Starbucks also will be on the scene to distribute beverages and help with the day’s programs. Earth and Arbor Day is sponsored by the generous support of Public Service Gas & Electric. About the Second and Fourth Saturdays Series Earth and Arbor Day is part of the Camden Children’s Garden’s Second and Fourth Saturday Series and is held 11:00 am– 4:00 pm. The Camden Children's Garden invites families to enjoy festivals in the Garden on the Second and Fourth Saturdays of each month, April through November. Each themed event includes fun planting activities, education, storybook readings, arts and crafts, and more. As a resource for horticultural education and recreation for children in the area, the Camden Children's Garden is committed to enhancing children's love of the natural world through educational programs, theme gardens and year-round special events. The Camden Children’s Garden wants you to…Come Outside and Play! The Garden is open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm every day (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Admission to the Garden is $6 for adults, $4 for children (age 3 -11) and free for children two years and under. This 4.5-acre garden features a variety of themed educational exhibits for children, including the Dinosaur Garden, Storybook Gardens, Red Oak Run and Tree House, Cityscapes Garden and more. Enjoy great indoor attractions including the Philadelphia Eagles Four Seasons Butterfly House, the NEW Benjamin Franklin Exhibit and Plaza de Aibonito, a Puerto Rican tropical exhibit. Additional information is available online at www.camdenchildrensgarden.org, or call (856) 365-TREE. Take River LINE to the Aquarium Station Stop, or ride NJ TRANSIT bus routes No. 452, 453, or 457 from the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden. For transit information, call 1-800-772-2222. About the Youth Environmental Advocate Program The Camden Children’s Garden recently received a grant for $10,000 from the Starbucks Foundation to further expand the Garden’s Youth Employment and Job Training Program. Camden City Garden Club, operator of the Camden Children’s Garden, creates full-time and part-time year-round employment for young people, most of whom are from the City of Camden. It provides paid employment along with job-readiness and training skills for the participants, who range in age from 14 to 21. The Youth work with the public, attend to visitors, maintain the gardens, and much more! This Spring, the Camden Children’s Garden will introduce the Environmental Advocate Program, which will serve as a blueprint for Camden youth to enhance the environment with the help of the Starbucks Foundation. The Youth will learn about improving the environment and act as environmental advocates by sharing eco-friendly ideas with children, teachers and families who visit the Camden Children’s Garden. Senior Youth staff will spearhead projects focusing on recycling and conservation. The Youth will further educate the public through writing in the Garden Club’s newsletter, on the Garden’s web site and in correspondence with local media. The Youth will lead a recycling program, the development of a Wildlife Habitat and many more conservation projects. Visitors can learn simple ways to conserve through the Garden’s Cityscapes exhibit. This exhibit features urban gardening and demonstrates how gardeners can protect nature in their own backyards and city lots. ###