The Caterpillar Lab
Wednesday-Sunday, July 31-August 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Back by popular demand! Join us July 31–August 4 when perennial favorite, The Caterpillar Lab, sets up its functioning caterpillar rearing, researching, photographing, filming, and educating facility in our Education Center. No two days of this residency are alike! Come experience live caterpillar displays and witness how The Lab cares for and works with these amazing, surprising creatures. The living exhibit is free with admission and is held in the Bosarge Family Education Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Caterpillar Lab is generously funded in loving memory of Tree Robbins.
Join us for an immersive poetry workshop with Wolastoqiyik writer and artist Mihku Paul. Poetry and art are great pathways to learning about nature. In this workshop, we'll explore new perspectives on our insect world through fun writing exercises. From direct observations in the garden and time with our entomologist, participants will document insects they encounter, collecting ideas, sketches, and pictures that will then become the basis for writing a poem or prose. Examples and templates will be provided to aid as a jumping-off place. Students will also be introduced to the Indigenous perspective on nature and learn some Passamaquoddy vocabulary as part of the instruction.
Join artist and forest therapy guide Susan Bickford for a guided, mindful walk and craft workshop. Returning to a time pre-technology, participants will employ their eyes, ears, and touch to document their experience, transferring their observations into a 3-dimensional creative collage map. This fun, interactive, and tactile activity further deepens awareness of nature's elements, resulting in a texture-rich, aromatic artistic representation that participants will take home. Locally foraged herbal tea will be offered during the workshop to sustain participants' newly awakened senses and imagination. All materials will be supplied.
Monday-Wednesday, August 19-21, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Gardens horticultural therapists will lead customized, interactive plant-based exercises to help strengthen interpersonal skills, hand-eye coordination, math and science problem-solving, and applied critical thinking. This educational and mindful activity session is designed to be inclusive of all abilities and learning levels and adapted to each participant. After planting a succulent bowl or fern terrarium to take home, students will tour the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, where they will use all of their available senses to explore the biodiversity demonstrated inside this universally accessible garden. Parents/guardians are asked to attend this session with their homeschoolers.
Come and explore the Native Butterfly House at the Gardens! Students will be introduced to butterflies and moths in all stages of their life cycle and their role in the food web. We will also discover the differences between butterflies and moths and their unique adaptations for survival. Meet the important plants that provide nectar and those that host these amazing creatures. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
Investigate life underground and discover the important role decomposers play in helping our gardens grow. Students will learn to identify these living organisms, learn about the anatomy of a worm, and understand how decomposition works. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
Ancient Egyptians used willow and myrtle to treat pain and fevers, and Mayans used the papaya tree for many herbal remedies including digestion. Plants have been used as medicine from the beginning of our existence, and hundreds of modern-day medicines have been inspired by plants. In this session, participants will explore which plants in our gardens and surrounding woodlands can be used to treat colds, upset stomachs, stress, anxiety and so much more. The session will end by making an herbal tea from cuttings collected during the session. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
Can you tell the difference between a rusty-patched and a two-spotted bumble bee? Did you know that some types of wasps and flies are pollinators? Join us on an exploratory walk with our resident entomologist, Zac Smith-Hess, as he shows students how to identify different types of pollinators. Students will also learn some fun facts about flowers and their relationship with these amazing creatures. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
On this fall walk, we'll learn handy tricks for remembering Maine woods' coniferous and deciduous trees. Participants will gain an understanding of the ecology of native trees as well as the science behind fall foliage. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
This sweet session will introduce students to the botanical and cultural history of apples as they make apple cider with an old-fashioned press. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
Explore how climate change is impacting the places we live and how we can come together to make our communities stronger. Join us on a walk through Slater Forest Pond and down the Haney Hillside to the Shoreland Trail; we will share stories about the natural world and practice observing the plants and animals around us. With the understanding of our relationship with our environment and how climate change impacts us all, we'll discuss how we can use our interests and talents to make those relationships more resilient to change. Enjoy sharing your perspectives and practicing problem-solving in this unique, conversational format. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register multiple children for one program or one child for multiple programs receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
Deepen your understanding of Wabanaki values and traditions on a special garden walk with Passamaquoddy educator Sandra Bassett. Sandra will introduce us to the newly planted Three Sisters Garden, demonstrate singing and drumming, and teach us a sampling of Passamaquoddy words. We will also spend some time learning about the significance of the four “R’s”-Reciprocity, Relationship, Respect, and Responsibility. The session will end with a birch bark etching activity.
Putting our five senses to work, we'll wind our way through the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, experiencing a garden in a whole new way. Participants will be encouraged to sample different herbs and edible flowers that may be new to them. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Please email Erika Huber at 
Come and enjoy one of the last open days of the season as we take in all that fall has to offer. We’ll investigate plant parts and their role in continuing a plant's life cycle, search for a variety of seedpods, harvest veggies and herbs from the Learning Garden, and cut a bouquet to take home. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult. Families who register for multiple programs or register more than one child for the same program, receive a special discounted rate at checkout. Financial Aid is available. Please email Erika Huber at 
