Adkins Arboretum is grateful to the Mid-Shore Community Foundation for two recent grant awards that will enhance outdoor learning experiences for children throughout the year.
One grant funded the purchase of a portable, three-basin handwashing sta:on for use during Nature Preschool, Summer Nature Camps, school field trips, and community events. By bringing handwashing directly to outdoor classrooms, children will spend less time waiting in restroom lines in the Visitors Center and more :me exploring nature, par:cipa:ng in stewardship ac:vi:es, and engaging in hands-on learning.A second grant supports Adkins Arboretum’s Junior Naturalist Camp by expanding and retaining trained science educators, ensuring campers receive high-quality environmental educa:on while exploring the Arboretum’s forests, meadows, and wetlands.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Mid-Shore Community Founda:on for inves:ng in programs that connect children with nature,” said Suzy Moore, Director of Advancement. “These grants strengthen our ability to provide safe, meaningful, and engaging outdoor experiences while giving more young people the opportunity to discover, explore, and develop a lifelong apprecia:on for the natural world.”
“The new handwashing sta:on may seem like a simple addi:on, but it will have a tremendous impact on our programs,” said Madison Palmer, Youth Program Director.
“Every minute we save moving children through handwashing is another minute they can spend inves:ga:ng wildlife, asking ques:ons, and learning through direct experiences in nature. Combined with addi:onal science educators for Junior Naturalist Camp, these grants allow us to maximize every learning opportunity.”
Adkins Arboretum extends its sincere thanks to the Mid-Shore Community Founda:on for its con:nued commitment to organiza:ons that strengthen communi:es across Maryland’s Mid-Shore and youth educa:on.
About Adkins Arboretum
A 400-acre na:ve garden and preserve in Ridgely, MD, Adkins Arboretum provides excep:onal experiences in nature to promote environmental stewardship.
