Plan Your Weekend: Be Inspired in the Children’s Poetry Garden
Posted in Emily Dickinson, Exhibitions on May 28 2010, by Plant Talk
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Noelle V. Dor is Museum Education Intern in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. |
The delicate unfurling of fresh leaves…
The kaleidoscopic flowering of plants small and large…
The courtship dances of birds and bees…
The cycling of sunshine and rain to nourish new life…
There is hardly a more poetic season than spring. All of nature is waking up and bursting forth in variously colored, scented, textured, and melodic ways. It’s no wonder that we, too, are moved to find refreshment for our own lives. When immersed in a space of natural beauty and vitality, some of us are even motivated to translate those experiences into artistic expressions. Inspired by well-versed poet and gardener Emily Dickinson, the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden has seamlessly blended nature and art to spark this dynamically creative process among visitors to the exhibition Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers.
Upon entering the Adventure Garden, one’s eyes are drawn in all directions to snippets of Dickinson’s poetry that stream and weave through the landscape. From the larger-than-life declaration, “There is no more snow!” to a tiny signpost that says “I hide myself within my flower,” this whimsical web of words invites visitors to explore nature with an invigorated sense of awe and playfulness.
Activities sprinkled around the Adventure Garden encourage families to combine sensory explorations, feelings about nature, and creativity and to record and relate their experiences in various ways. Activities include: making a pressed flower postcard, potting up wildflower seeds, taking an interactive scavenger hunt, adding beauty to the garden with sidewalk chalk, creating observational drawings, and celebrating plants with musical instruments and dance. What a wonderful way to bridge the gap between science and art!
I, myself, have always been fascinated by what we commonly call “nature,” especially things that often go unnoticed or are rendered insignificant—a scampering squirrel, the unique curve of a tree branch, a lone, wispy cloud. Such moments give me meaningful pause in the midst of my busy daily routine, reminding me of life’s simple pleasures. In helping to create this program, however, I realized that inspiration is more than a feeling. Inspiration is emotion plus action; we are quite literally moved to create and communicate how a particular experience has influenced us. Coupled with curiosity and compassion, it can greatly enhance the way we teach young people about the value of nature.
You do not need to be a fan of poetry to enjoy the Children’s Poetry Garden. With spring in full swing and so much to explore and express, you are bound to be inspired!
