Kids 17 and under are free every Wednesday in July and August! There’s no need to reserve tickets for kids; just bring them along, and we’ll check them in at the door.
Thanks to the support of L.L.Bean.
The pond in our Children’s Garden is teeming with life during the summer months. Drop in and discover which creatures call the water their home as we dip nets into the pond and look for signs of life. We’ll explore life cycles, food chains, differences between reptiles and amphibians, and the proper handling of our froggy friends. This is an open activity appropriate for all ages. Free with admission.
Monday-Wednesday, August 19-21, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Learn the art of visual storytelling by creating an accordion book from drawings made throughout our gardens and woodlands. Students ages 9-13 will join Joy Grannis, botanical illustrator, as she teaches students how to create a composition from what they observe, calling out details as they make sketches and notes to add to their final piece. Students will also learn how to translate the colors they see in nature to their artwork and how to use collage to enhance their artistic book. Mediums such as graphite, colored pencils, acrylic markers, watercolor pencils, and pen will be used. All materials provided.
Scholarships are available for families with a financial need. To request an application, please email Erika Huber at ehuber@mainegardens.org.
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Educator Bio:
Joy Grannis is a freelance botanical illustrator, artist, and designer from Portland, Maine. Grannis earned her BA in environmental planning and policy from the University of Southern Maine and later earned a graduate certificate in scientific illustration from California State University at Monterey Bay. Grannis combines her expertise to illustrate the natural world in support of education and environmental conservation. Grannis primarily works in watercolor and digital media, creating pieces for botanical gardens, environmental organizations, interior designers, and retail establishments.
Putting our five senses to work, we'll wind our way through the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, experiencing this garden in a new way. Participants will be encouraged to sample different herbs and edible flowers that may be new to them. Free with admission.
Meet us in the Native Butterfly House as we investigate the lives of the butterflies and moths. From egg to adult and everything in between, we’ll search for all stages of a butterfly’s life cycle while learning about their unique adaptations, their essential role in the food web, and how to identify key differences between butterflies and moths. Free with admission.
Improved air quality, aromatherapy, aesthetic interest, and emotional and edible nourishment are a few of the benefits of having houseplants. Join Brent McHale to learn about the garden plants that do best indoors, what kind of indoor conditions and considerations to be aware of, and the numerous ways to display the plants that you love outdoors, now indoors. Each student will pot and take home a young new houseplant. Class Level: All Levels. Suitable for teens 14+.
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is filled with natural treasures waiting to be drawn and painted! Join Mindy Lighthipe for this fun five-day workshop as we focus on capturing wild Maine. From the beach to the woodlands, learn to draw forms and figures like shells, seaweed, woodland creatures, mushrooms and more in graphite, and then transpose into full-color illustration. On the last day, we will take all our sketches and drawings and create a coastal Maine original composition. All levels are welcome. Suitable for teens 14+. Get the best value by signing up for all five classes. For those who can't attend all five, you may sign up for individual days.
Be inspired by the brilliant colors of autumn and beautiful gardens in this two-day pastel workshop. Geared for all levels of experience, this course will introduce beginning artists to pastels with pure pigments that offer the perfect complement to the colorful bounty of nature. For experienced painters, the course offers techniques to create painterly works with bold color and mark-making. Diana combines demonstrations with one-on-one attention and encouragement at the easel. Using fun exercises, participants will learn how to use color and value selection, simplified compositions, and mark-making to create expressive garden and landscape paintings. Participants will have plenty of time to paint and complete fully developed paintings. Suitable for teens 14+.
The mission of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections between people and nature and promote plant conservation through horticulture, education, and plant science.
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