Booker Elementary Students to Explore Selby Gardens

Seventy-five second-graders from Emma E. Booker Elementary School will explore the world of plants at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens from 10 am.-12:30 p.m., Tuesday (Dec. 18). The visit, which will include a tour, lunch and free time, is made possible by an Exploration Grant from the Education Foundation of Sarasota County.

The $5,000 grant also is funding other science-based field trips for the class to locations that include Mote Marine Laboratory, G.WIZ: The Science Museum and the Riverview High School Planetarium and AquaDome aquaculture laboratory. 

At Selby Gardens, students will get the chance to identify new species of plants, see the parts and habitats of plants and learn what plants need to survive and thrive.

“We are also planning doing a ‘soil searching’ activity at G.WIZ,” said teacher Rachel Ellis, “which will complement the Selby Gardens field trip nicely.”

Throughout the school year, Selby Gardens hosts a number of interactive field trips for students. Jeannie Perales, Selby’s director of education, works closely with teachers before field trips to align the activities with lesson plans.

“Students gain a deeper understanding of plant life when they visit here, because they get a full sensory experience,” Perales said. “They have fun, get their hands dirty and enjoy a memorable experience.”

About Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a leader in the display and study of orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads, epiphytes and tropical plants with a focus on botany, horticulture and environmental education. The mission of Selby Gardens is to provide an oasis of inspiration and tranquility while furthering the understanding and appreciation of plants, especially epiphytes. More information is available at selby.org.

About Exploration Grants

“Exploring Science throughout Sarasota” is funded by one of 53 Exploration Grants awarded to local teachers by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County this year. Area arts, history and science organizations are encouraged to develop educational experiences tied to what students are learning in the classroom. These “explorations” are posted on a public website, EdExploreSRQ.com, which was launched last summer by Sarasota County Schools and The Patterson Foundation. Teachers use the website to find exciting experiences — field trips, performances, visits with artists and scientists, videoconferencing — that meet state instructional requirements and help students learn the content they are expected to master each year.  

     Exploration Grants help teachers make these experiences possible for their students. Grants of up to $1,500 and expanded grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to teachers who develop the most compelling proposals for student learning based on EdExploreSRQ.com experiences. Each grant is made possible by private donations to the Education Foundation. To inspire further generosity The Patterson Foundation is matching new or increased philanthropic gifts for Exploration Grants from individuals, families, businesses and civic groups over the next two years, up to a total of $500,000. More information is available at edfoundation.net.