West End Eco Camp students and Linda Cooper at interpretive bird sign learning about Bahamian and Migratory birds. (Photo: Erika Gates)
“ The more we love our earth, the more we love our life.” - Anthony Douglas Williams
The Garden of the Groves welcomed over five hundred summer camp children along with chaperones from various camps during the month of July and August.
The educational and fun field trip to the Garden consisted of a guided tour through the tropical garden and certified wildlife habitat. As part of the tour the campers were shown plants that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, they fed fish and turtles, while some had the opportunity to pet ‘Royal’ a twenty two year old cockatoo, that was adopted by the Garden. Birds and ducks are seen throughout the garden, so with this in mind they were shown a bird chart highlighting our resident birds, summer and winter migratory birds as well as Bahamian species.
The children and chaperones stopped at the compost site, where a brief overview on composting took place. Several children from each camp were able to sift decomposed plant life from the compost on to a screen whereby the organic soil is filtered. The soil is then potted for use to grow new plants from the plant trimmings. This led to the plant nursery where plants are sold with proceeds assisting with the maintenance of the garden.
Velyn Cooper’s Musical Peacock campers learning how to produce compost. (Photo: Erika Gates)
Then it was onto the Aquaponics Farm, whereby the children were explained that aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture [fish farming] and hydroponics [cultivating plant life in water]. The water is recycled with the nutrients from the fish, which are fed organic fish food. The children viewed the process from the fish tank to the plant beds with a wide variety of lettuce, basil and mint are growing in the green house.
Upon completion of the tour, some groups enjoyed lunch either at the Garden Café or playground, spending time on a play gym located in the Hibiscus Garden.
The Garden of the Groves wishes to thank the following persons, their summer camp students and chaperones: Mrs. Moss, The Beacon School; Camp Kuwatics; Mrs. Geneva Rutherford, Sir Charles Hayward Library; Linda Cooper, West End Eco Camp; Velyn Cooper, Musical Peacock Camp; Kevin Tomlinson, Kevin Tomlinson Academy; Ms. Cooper, Growing Years Preschool; Nathan’s Tennis Camp; Mrs. Newton, Freeport City Council Camp; Joe Darville, Save the Bays Junior Eco Camp; BTEC Camp; YMCA Academic ‘Baby Bugs’ Camp and The Royal Bahamas Police Summer Camp Program, in particular – Officer Knowles, Eight Mile Rock Division; ASP Neely, Central Division; Corporal Bowe, Lucaya Division and Officer Gibson, West End Division.
We wish to remind all residents The Garden of the Groves is offering a discounted guided tour fee for families and groups during fall.
This garden tour is on Saturdays at 11:00am. Get more information: thegardenofthegroves.com.
Joe Darvile and Save the Bay environmental ambassadors at the ready with magnifying glasses for composting studies (Photo: Erika Gates)
Campers in Aquaponics Greenhouse viewing various varieties of freens being grown. (Photo: Erika Gates)
A stroll through the plant nursery. (Photo: Erika Gates)
Officer Natalie Knowles, RBPF with Eight Mile Rock and West End Division summer campers. (Photo: Erika Gates)
By The Garden of the Groves
