Washington Youth Garden

12/13/2021

Washington Youth Garden updated their information in their About section.

Washington Youth Garden updated their information in their About section.

12/13/2021

Washington Youth Garden updated their website address.

Washington Youth Garden updated their website address.

12/10/2021

Christmas trees are here and our tents are set up — come see us this weekend at @fonarboretum’s first ever Christmas Tree Sale & Holiday Market at the US National Arboretum!

See us Saturday & Sunday from 10AM to 4 PM in the New York Avenue parking lot.

The Procrastinators Holiday Market is Saturday only, but the Christmas Tree Sale is Saturday AND Sunday. Come pick out your Christmas tree and do some holiday shopping! The market will feature local artisans, family-friendly entertainment, a holiday card-making station, @roamingrooster1 food truck, and FREE holiday train rides for kids.

Find our table at the market to buy your very own Youth Garden honey or Arboretum ornament!

See here for more info: https://www.fona.org/events_programs/

Rhode Island Avenue Main Street Bladensburg Road Main Street

11/30/2021

There’s still time to donate this #GivingTuesday! When you support Friends of the National Arboretum, you help programs like the Washington Youth Garden thrive 🥕

Support FONA and WYG today: https://www.fona.org/support/

There’s still time to donate this #GivingTuesday! When you support Friends of the National Arboretum, you help programs like the Washington Youth Garden thrive 🥕

Support FONA and WYG today: https://www.fona.org/support/

11/29/2021

Thank you for being part of our community! Thanks to the financial support of our FONA community, we have done some remarkable things at Washington Youth Garden this year for students, teachers, and families in our DC community.

Please keep Friends of the National Arboretum in mind on Tuesday, Nov. 30th when making your #GivingTuesday plans. Go here to donate: https://www.fona.org/support/

Friends of the National Arboretum

10/28/2021

Best of D.C. 2021 - Washington City Paper

Slowing down and connecting to the land and each other is important to us. Thanks for finding the silver lining in Covid-19 at the National Arboretum!

The best food, drink, arts, entertainment, people, places, goods, and services in D.C. according to City Paper readers and editors.

10/20/2021

Malabar spinach appreciation post ✨💜✨
During DC summers, it is difficult to grow leafy greens because most varieties like cooler weather. However, Malabar spinach likes warm weather and so we grow it during the summer in order to have some greens for the community!
Malabar spinach (Basella alba) is native to the tropical regions of India, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea. We got our last harvest for the season for the leaves — but what’s super cool is that the berries (which have a seed inside if you wanted to save them to plant next year!) have a deep purple color and make an excellent dye for painting!!
Here you can see some beautiful art made by some regular visitors 💜

#malabarspinach #plantart #youthgarden #urbangarden #WYG #nationalarboretum @fonarboretum

09/30/2021

Join our team!! There's still time to apply

There's still time to apply! Send your application by October 4th to become FONA's Director of Foundations and Government Relations. This person will lead FONA's foundation and government fundraising strategies and work with a team to manage grants from proposal to close-out. Apply today!

https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit-job/12cc7437e7fa44bf925946852d9cd9e5-director-of-foundation-and-government-relations-friends-of-the-national-arboretum-washington

09/24/2021

Happy Fall y’all!
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The Autumnal Equinox was earlier this week and cooler weather has been creeping in already. The garden team has been preparing the demonstration garden during this transition time by doing by things like:
-Sheet mulching with cardboard and building up garden beds with compost
-Planting cover crop like winter rye and clover
-Harvesting bean seeds for next season
-Growing leafy greens like arugula

What are fall activities are you most excited about?!

#washingtonyouthgarden #WYG #youthgarden #dcgardens #nationalarboretum #urbangardening @fonarboretum

09/17/2021

This weekend’s Garden Maintenance Morning kicks off FONA’s Fall Fest! Celebrate #fall and join us for 3 weekends of family-friendly outdoor events and a number of forest bathing walks. Scroll to find all the info you need for #fallfun!

Sept 18 School Garden Maintenance Morning at Washington Youth Garden: https://forms.gle/KmPcGkNyZiqGPVhH8

Oct 2 Bulb Sale in the New York Avenue parking lot: https://www.fona.org/events_programs/

Oct 9 Fall 5K Run throughout the whole US National Arboretum: https://runsignup.com/Race/DC/Washington/NationalArboretumFall5K

Sept - Dec Forest bathing experiences: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/friends-of-the-national-arboretum-13276552841

Friends of the National Arboretum

09/16/2021

Join us this Saturday, Sept. 18th at 9am-12pm for our free School Garden Maintenance Morning, with workshops, Q&A's, snacks, and resources. Participation is free, but registration is required: https://forms.gle/o2Vh21EZKbL3rMWQ8

LOCATION:

Washington Youth Garden, on the grounds of the US National Arboretum. If driving and staying for workshops, we suggest parking at the Grove of State Trees parking lot.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

9 am- 12 pm:

Q&A sessions with WYG staff on garden maintenance, preparing for the upcoming fall/winter seasons, and sustainable gardening techniques.

Free supplies to prepare your garden for the upcoming season including root vegetable and cover crop seeds, straw, compost and kale and collard seedlings (only for those affiliated with school gardens). We encourage you to bring buckets for compost (we will have some) and/ or set up transportation for your supplies.

Connecting with garden experts and networking with your fellow garden educators from across D.C

Workshops:

9:30 am: Keeping Honey Bees with Toni Burnham of DC Beekeepers Alliance

10:15 am: Container Gardening with Niraj Ray of Cultivate the City

11:00 am: Composting with Najwa Womack of Sistained 8

COVID-19 Protocol:

Social distancing is encouraged throughout the event, which will take place outside, and we ask that participants wear masks. Should you need, we will have masks for you on-site.

09/16/2021

We are making more [email protected] kits for the 2021-2022 school year and we'd like your help! We've provided over 4,000 [email protected] kits to students throughout the DC region since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These kits allow students to connect with garden science from wherever they are.

Let us know in the link below which of the following days you could help make kits in Washington Youth Garden:
🥕Friday, September 17th
🥦Wednesday, September 22nd
🧄Wednesday, September 29th
🌶Saturday, October 2nd

https://forms.gle/NZCWo35XygP2B1jk7

We are making more [email protected] kits for the 2021-2022 school year and we'd like your help! We've provided over 4,000 [email protected] kits to students throughout the DC region since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These kits allow students to connect with garden science from wherever they are.

Let us know in the link below which of the following days you could help make kits in Washington Youth Garden:
🥕Friday, September 17th
🥦Wednesday, September 22nd
🧄Wednesday, September 29th
🌶Saturday, October 2nd

https://forms.gle/NZCWo35XygP2B1jk7

09/13/2021

U.S. National Arboretum: Preserving Plants Through Digitization

The National Arboretum is digitizing its herbarium collection and it needs your help! You can transcribe specimen label data and help make this botanical treasure trove of over 800,000 specimens accessible to people around the world. Sign up and start participating today.

https://heritagehelpers.org/projects/view/details/project/usna_tagging_arboretum

A treasure trove of botanical wonders is undergoing a digital revival! Help us create a virtual herbarium collection for the world to discover and enjoy.

09/12/2021

Want to create a butterfly garden? Here’s what to plant, based on your space.

Want to create a butterfly garden? Here’s what to plant, based on your space.

Experts share their favorite pollinator-friendly plants for balconies and yards, both large and small.

09/09/2021

Get ready for fall gardening with our School Garden Maintenance Morning on Saturday, September 18th from 9 AM - 12 PM. This event at Washington Youth Garden is free and open to all:

🐝 Attend workshops on sustainable gardening techniques, beekeeping, composting, container gardening, and more!

🌱 DC garden educators can take home free garden supplies to prepare for the fall season.

🥕 Connect with garden experts and network with fellow garden educators.

Registration required: https://forms.gle/LcYzDYynmPrmMUFm8

Friends of the National Arboretum

09/03/2021

U.S. National Arboretum: Preserving Plants Through Digitization

Want to try your hand at citizen science? The National Arboretum is digitizing its herbarium collection and it needs your help! They are looking for endeavoring citizen scientists to transcribe specimen label data and help make this botanical treasure trove accessible to people around the world. Sign up and start participating today.

https://heritagehelpers.org/projects/view/details/project/usna_tagging_arboretum

A treasure trove of botanical wonders is undergoing a digital revival! Help us create a virtual herbarium collection for the world to discover and enjoy.

09/02/2021

Slow Weekends: Washington, DC Edition • Slow Food USA

How does Washington Youth Garden and the National Arboretum fit into a weekend of food, family, and fun in Washington, DC? Slow Food USA shares some great ideas how to have a "Slow Weekend" DC.

Slow Food DC

Slow Weekends: Washington, DC Edition Aug 12, 2021 | Slow Weekends, Snailblazer/Snail of Approval, Uncategorized By Valerie Bilgri, Slow Food DC Slow Weekends is a travel series from Slow Food USA that highlights businesses that have been awarded the Snail of Approval award. This distinguished recog...

08/30/2021

The future of food is looking bright! This summer, our 8 high school age Green Ambassador program Farm Crew members all stepped out of their comfort zones, tried new things, and learned a LOT about #food and #agriculture.

During this 6-week summer internship, they collectively spent over 800 hours learning the intricacies of garden maintenance, practicing cooking with fresh produce, and creating their own herbal medicine tinctures. They also practiced carpentry skills by building picnic tables and self-watering garden containers.

While Farm Crew teaches technical skills, it also introduces youth to nature helps them be more comfortable outdoors. Christin Riddick, Green Ambassador Program Manager, appreciates how the program allows everyone to find a way to thrive outside, noting "even if you don't like nature, there's something out there for everyone."

What’s your favorite Green Ambassador program memory??
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Friends of the National Arboretum DC Beekeepers Alliance

08/26/2021

FONA Field Notes – Friends of the National Arboretum

Be the first to know about things happening at Washington Youth Garden, FONA, and the National Arboretum! Sign up for our FONA Field Notes today

August 18, 2021Garden GratitudeWe’ve harvested 3,650 pounds of fresh food from Washington Youth Garden so far this year —…

08/05/2021

3,000 pounds?! That’s a ton (and a half!) of fresh food harvested from Washington Youth Garden’s 1-acre garden this year!

What do we do with all this fresh food? We distribute it throughout our local community to help fight food insecurity in #DC. This year, we have dontated fresh food to students and families at:

🥕 Partner schools
🥬 Kid Power DC
🥦 YMCA Calomiris Program Center | YMCA of Metropolitan Washington (DC)
🥒 DC Fridge Collective
🫑 DC Central Kitchen

We plan on donating a LOT more before the growing season is up this year. What’s your favorite fruit or veggie you’ve ever tasted from Washington Youth Garden?
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@fonarboretum #growinggreendreams #washingtonyouthgarden #wyg #garden #education #food #fightingfoodinsecurity #nationalarboretumdc #nationalarboretum #foodinsecurity #dc

08/04/2021

Learn how you can incorporate experiential education at your school — join us in next week's Summer Intensive on Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Education. Space is still available for this pilot program. Help us make the most robust training for the future!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3YQx7qiYhsPP5LfrbAFkNydsfkGbwSA6xzvbUE8nrFtX7_w/viewform

Friends of the National Arboretum Freshfarm

08/03/2021

School Garden Gateway — Summer 2021

Check out the School Garden Gateway, Peak Summer Edition. Lots of resources for professional development, curriculum, and beyond, including two upcoming training opportunities with WYG,

Garden teacher resources for your classroom! View as Webpage SUMMER 2021 Your seasonal picks are here! Please enjoy our quarterly resources picked just for you and your school garden by our Washingto

07/22/2021

Come volunteer with the Washington Youth Garden! We need some extra hands at our main garden at the National Arboretum to help w**d, mulch, plant, harvest, and more. Volunteers work in shifts on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Fill out our interest form to receive more information about our next virtual garden orientation on August 4th.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXBaTL-0tSafKpuxnDWbSK6eq0bfTCSiGqWIpsXxQ3Sf18QQ/viewform

Friends of the National Arboretum

Come volunteer with the Washington Youth Garden! We need some extra hands at our main garden at the National Arboretum to help w**d, mulch, plant, harvest, and more. Volunteers work in shifts on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Fill out our interest form to receive more information about our next virtual garden orientation on August 4th.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXBaTL-0tSafKpuxnDWbSK6eq0bfTCSiGqWIpsXxQ3Sf18QQ/viewform

Friends of the National Arboretum

07/15/2021

We’ve officially wrapped up our Garden Science school garden partnership program for the year! This program connects students from four local partner schools with garden science education and fresh food. During the 2020-21 school year, we:

🥕 taught 187 Garden Science lessons, 42 of which were in outdoor garden classrooms

🪴 hosted 51 school garden club events

🥬 shared fresh food grown in Washington Youth Garden with students' families through 50 free produce distributions

Teachers resonated with how our Garden Science program "made in-person learning feel a bit more like school in such a weird year." This year, our Program Manager Allie appreciated how excited both children and their families were to grow and cook their own food.

This program will look a bit different this coming school year. As we adapt our programs to help build more strong, sustainable school garden programs and reach more students, the Garden Science curriculum will now support the greater School Garden Support program.
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@fonarboretum #growinggreendreams #washingtonyouthgarden #wyg #usnationalarboretum #nationalarboretum #gardenscience #garden #education

07/07/2021

Trellises everywhere! In the demonstration garden, we have many different types of trellises or support systems for some of our summer crops. Our cucumbers and large slicing variety tomatoes are using a hoop house technique where a single vine is trained up a string for support. This helps focus the plants’ energy to producing fruit rather than branching out (lots of pruning involved!). It also helps with airflow to prevent too much moisture that may contribute to fungus or pests. We also have a bean tunnel trellis made from metal cattle fencing. It creates a fun shady tunnel to walk under and soon we have have lots of long noodle beans hanging from it!
Some other crops we are growing with trellises include cherry and plum tomatoes, summer squash, Malabar spinach, more beans, luffa, and maypop!
#youthgarden #wyg #washingtonyouthgarden #nationalarboretum #dcurbangarden #trellis @fonarboretum