Alaska Botanical Garden, Inc.

By growing an edible garden, youth in Alaska Botanical Garden's Summer Camp program will learn about gardening, develop an appreciation for the environment, and cultivate the mind.

Each Spring, ABG hosts an informative, all-day series of lectures and workshops by garden experts, open to the public. Topics presented by Alaskan experts include: vermicomposting, landscaping with edible plants, gardening with native plants, vegetable and herb gardening, poisonous & medicinal plants in garden design, plant propagation, and much more! An inspiring keynote by a renowned guest speaker rounds out the Conference and the ABG Annual Meeting. Keynote speakers have included Lee Reich, Paul Stamets, Sally Cunningham, Toby Hemenway, and Eliot Coleman.

ABG hosts field trips to teach K-12 school children about plants, soil, and nature. These programs are designed to “get kids into the woods” to explore the natural world and spark an interest in the environment. The “Schools-in-the-Garden” curriculum was formulated by an avid gardener who taught for years in the Anchorage School District. “Storytime in the Garden” and “Discovery Duffels” (available for “check out” at the ABG Shop-in-the-Garden), are popular with families with young children.In recent years, the community demand for these environmental education programs is expected to continue increasing exponentially. ABG has hosted hundreds of children from Campfire, Southcentral Foundation’s “Raise Healthy Kids” program, Trailside Discovery, Alaska Children’s Services, Northstar Behavioral Treatment Center, McLaughlin Youth Center, charter schools, Denali Family Services, Anchorage School District, Montessori schools, and a variety of local day camps.  For older youth learning job skills, ABG partners with Nine Star Enterprises on workforce development training apprenticeships.

ABG hosts inspiring lectures and workshops year-round. Recent speakers include fungi expert Paul Stamets, author Tracy DiSabato-Aust, Horticulturist Dr. Alan Armitage, plantsman Dan Hinkley, renowned botanist Dr. Peter Raven, and author Lee Reich. Other examples include “mushroom walks” with local fungi experts and botanical illustration workshops.