Overview of the Children’s Garden
On March 23, 2019, a long-dreamed-of and long-planned-for day finally arrived – the opening of the Children’s Garden at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens. Designated the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden, in honor of the former Botanical Garden board member who donated $1 million in 2007 to start the project, it is a mixture of fun and interactive spaces designed to be learned from, crawled through, and touched.
The grand opening of the Children’s Garden was attended by Ryan McNeill, a board member of the Georgia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation (GA-TACF). Ryan staffed a tabletop booth showcasing the work of the chapter and spoke with many interested Children’s Garden visitors. Using a “learning box” supplied by TACF, Ryan highlighted the differences between Chinese chestnuts, American chestnuts, and chinquapins to the children. Dr. Martin Cipollini, of Berry College in Rome, GA and a GA-TACF board member, donated five chestnut seedlings to be planted within the State Botanical Garden, near the conservationist office as well as in the Children’s Garden.
The Garden features native Georgia plants and habitat gardens, along with natural processes like pollination, soil composition, water sources, and interactions of plants, insects, and animals. Other highlights of the 2.5-acre garden include a walk-through chestnut treehouse, a fossil wall, giant water-misting mushrooms, a vegetable garden, a replica of a North Georgia cave, and much more fun stuff to explore!
Walk-through chestnut treehouse
The chestnut treehouse is a huge depiction of the tree’s moniker, the mighty giant. Lying on its side with a wide walkway and benches inside, the structure effectively relays the size and grandeur of these once-prevalent trees. The exterior of the structure has swatches of bark and expands to a characteristically massive tree base. Strolling through the chestnut treehouse, visitors pass a beautiful sign detailing the history and cultural importance of the American chestnut.
Opening day saw lots or free play and activities featuring live music, food trucks, and a variety of performances at the Theatre-in-the-Woods stage. Families were told to be ready to get their hands dirty, enjoy community interaction, and learn about Georgia’s unique natural history and resources – including American chestnuts!