People
Children are the stars of the Ithaca Children’s Garden, but the supporting cast includes all kinds of people, such as volunteers Lucy and Louis.
Connecting Kids to Nature
Everything we do at the Ithaca Children’s Garden is done with one goal in mind: To inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. We know the best way to do that is to get more children outside, with hands-on experiences, having fun in the natural world. Come visit and discover ICG for yourself. Bring your family and friends. Register your child for a program. Become a member, volunteer, or make a financial gift online. Together, we are better.
Calendar
Voices
Video by Stephanie Khoury, as part of the Park Award for Photo Activism Project
"Playgrounds are great and equipment can be interesting, but places like the Children's Garden have the ability to connect children with nature and to do it in playful ways. Many times with formal gardens or arboretums, there are certain paths to go on and certain ways to interact with the plants, but what’s fun about the Children’s Garden is that there are all sorts of meandering secret places. It can be a little wilder and kids can feel free to get in there and pick a few flowers, pull some weeds, or go exploring through tall grasses. The Children's Garden is a place where families can say 'yes,' you can explore there, and just by its nature, the Garden beckons children to explore."
– Rusty Keeler, author of Natural Playscapes and owner of EarthPlay
Coming up at ICG!
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Ithaca Children's Garden invites children to discover the wonderful world of plants through hands-on, sensory engagement. Your support helps us keep the Garden open and growing all season long.
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By growing, harvesting, and cooking delicious whole foods, youth learn where food comes from. Your support empowers the next generation to make healthy choices when it comes to food and eating.
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The Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone is a safe place where kids are invited to build, imagine, and play like kids, all in the great outdoors. Your support helps keep the HONAZ stocked and staffed for all to enjoy!
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ICG teen apprentices gain important horticulture, job, and team-building skills through an intensive summer employment program. One teen reported “this job helped keep me off the streets.”
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Children design, plant, maintain, and harvest their own salad plots, in ICG’s signature Seed to Salad curriculum. Your support allows us to bring this, and other ICG programs to area schools.
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ICG’s summer and school break camps connect youth with hands-on plant science. Your support allows us to offer these at an affordable sliding scale, and provides scholarships so all can participate.
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Our talented staff share their knowledge and love of the natural world in all they do. Without our staff, none of our programs would be possible. Your support keeps them employed!
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This year, with 1,100 volunteer hours and $25,000 in donations, we built the Bulb Labyrinth Memorial Garden. With your support, we will install an Edible Forest Garden, fruit orchard, and more in 2013.
Learn more about supporting ICG
Place
ICG is for the birds too! Visit our special place for yourself to see what the chirping is all about.
Programs
Find out how people, plants, and the natural world are connected by jumping into one of our fun and educational programs.
In partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County