Kids & Family
Andover Garden Club Member Presents at Statewide Convention
Environmental Awareness Chair Maria Bartlett Presented "Leave No Child Inside" at the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts Annual Meeting
Maria Bartlett, Environmental Awareness Committee chair for the Andover Garden Club (AGC), presented “Leave No Child Inside” at the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts’ annual meeting, held June 6 in Milford, Massachusetts.
Her talk focused on the club’s efforts to bring children closer to nature. She spoke about the important benefits of being outside and engaged with the natural world: increased calmness, reduced anxiety and depression, increased cognitive ability and creativity, better sleep, maintenance of healthy weight, and appreciation of nature.
She discussed some Andover programs aimed at furthering these goals, including “Leave No Child Inside: Local Outdoor Activities, Right here, Right Now,” a panel discussion held March 15 at Memorial Hall Library (MHL) and cosponsored by AGC, which identified local nature activities for families. The presentation, now available online, highlights the importance of direct connections to nature for healthy childhood development and how time spent exploring forests, fields, riverbanks, and gardens leads to happier, healthier, better-adjusted children.
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Part of the AGC’s Junior Gardeners program, offered in conjunction with MHL and run by Erin Taylor, Junior Gardeners chair for AGC, this monthly series of hands-on nature sessions for children 4-7 years old explored birds, seeds, earthworms, and butterflies. The series ran from March to June 2018, and plans are underway to continue the offerings in the future.
About the Andover Garden Club
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Founded in 1927, the Andover Garden Club is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that encourages the study and practice of horticulture, landscape design, and floral design; aids in the beautification of the town of Andover; and helps protect and conserve natural resources. A member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc., the club provides both financial and hands-on support to a variety of municipal, educational, and environmental organizations throughout the region.
The Andover Garden Club welcomes new members, and information about joining is available from membership chairs Liz Bell (belles810@gmail.com, 978-475-3021) and Kathy Hess (kmhess1@verizon.net, 978-470-0806).
Photo Credits: Linda Jean Smith (display), Tina Girdwood (slideshow)