Discovery Garden marks fourth year at Erskine

“Discovery Garden,” a summer program for children offered at Erskine College and led jointly by Professor Emerita of Biology Dr. Jan Haldeman and Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Naoma Nelsen, hosted two weeklong sessions last month.

Now in its fourth year, the program welcomed five- to seven-year-olds for the first session June 11-15. A second session, designed for eight- to ten-year-olds, was conducted June 25-29.

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Art in the Garden,” local artist Barbara Ervin, a member of the Erskine College Class of 1977, joined the program staff for both sessions.

“This added a new dimension to the program, with exciting, creative plant and garden-related activities such as pottery, painting, and vegetable printing,” Haldeman said.

The program’s base for outdoor activities was the Pressly Family Heritage Garden, located behind the Daniel•Moultrie Science Center.

Student assistants for the the program were biology majors Casey Hughes and Blake Robinson. Volunteers included Erskine College biology major Nick Currie as well as Conor and Fisher Smith, sons of Vice President for Communications Cliff Smith.

The Discovery Garden program was funded by “fees, donations and a 2011 grant from the Josephine Moffatt Stevenson Charitable Trust,” Haldeman said.

“We have applied again for funding from the Stevenson Trust in order to continue on through next summer,” she added.