CFBG Receives Grant for Summer Camps

Cape Fear Botanical Garden has received a generous grant from the Summertime Kids Annual Fund of Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc. The $3,000 grant will support summer camp activities including environmental education, outdoor exploration and nature appreciation to children from our community. Camp sessions include unique, hands-on, natural science immersion programs providing experiences such as quiet time in the woods listening for animals and searching for their tracks, catching and releasing butterflies and tadpoles, and feeling the thrill of touching a frog. Games and crafts are carefully selected to give campers an intimate experience with nature and science concepts and align with subjects taught in school. These experiences often stay with campers for life, making them more sensitive to the surrounding world and instilling in them the responsibility of being a good steward.
The awarded grant funds will assist with expenses related to providing a memorable camp experience for Summertime Kids Partner groups such as the Boys and Girls Club of Fayetteville and the Vision Resource Center. Funds went toward the purchase of track mold replicas so children could make molds of tracks of animals native to the North Carolina; materials to conduct science experiments for surveying the aquatic wildlife in the Cypress Pond; and tree “cookies” for children to learn about the age and life of a tree.

“Summer is our favorite time of year in the Education Department because it means summer camp is in full swing! With the support of Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc., we are able to provide our campers with unique, fun-filled nature experiences that they may not otherwise get the opportunity to experience. From catching butterflies and tadpoles, learning about native trees and animals, and just taking the time to experience being outdoors, the children all show incredible growth by the end of the camp week. The children that are scared of the outdoors are often the ones begging us to stay outside by the end of camp! We are so grateful for the funding that makes it possible to provide these positive outdoor experiences to the children and we look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come!” – Erika Winspear, Education Specialist

Established in 1989, Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s 80 acres are situated between the Cape Fear River and Cross Creek. The Garden is an NC Environmental Education Center and an approved Cumberland County Field Trip Destination. In addition to summer camps, the Garden provides children’s programs, workshops and field trips throughout the year. For more fun and educational programs, visit our calendar of upcoming events.