This unique gardening program helps to develop the future stewards of the land by igniting a passion for the outdoors. The Junior Master Gardener (JMG) is an international youth gardening program sponsored in the state by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, the Texas A&M University System.
Participants will be involved in hand-on activities, guided trail walks and gardening at Quinta Mazatlan.
Students may attend select classes throughout the year. If they attend all 12 classes they can become a CERTIFIED Junior Master Gardener: Wildlife Gardener. NOTE: Quinta Mazatlan will offer a couple of make-up classes during the year to assist the child with their goal of becoming certified.
January 16: New Year’s Nature Resolutions: Turning Trash into Treasure
Students will learn the importance of reusing materials. To help celebrate “National Bird Day”, objects will be recycled to improve the habitat for birds.
Action Step: Students will decorate a reusable canvas bag for shopping.
February 20: Planting Seeds of Greatness Month: Seeds + Water = Plants
Math is an integral part of the science process. Students will use various tools to measure, sort, and classify while gardening.
Action Step: Students will take home a plant and record observations of its growth.
March 20: Take a Walk in the Park Day
Students will celebrate “Take a Walk in the Park Day” by exploring Quinta Mazatlan’s Tamaulipan Thornforest. While playing Critter Bingo, students will observe how animals and birds have adapted to the 3 different forest layers.
Action Step: Students will receive a schematic of a pond at QM needing a landscape design to be created at home and brought back for discussion.
April 24: Arbor Month: Come Hug a Tree (4th Sat)
April 30th is Arbor Day and the perfect time to get acquainted with native trees. Participants will learn to use dichotomous keys for tree identification and will also have the opportunity to plant a tree.
Action Step: Students will receive a small seedling to plant at home or neighborhood to nurture.
NOTE: We moved the class to the 4th Saturday in April because on April 17th Quinta Mazatlan will be holding its annual Earth Day Celebration, VIDA VERDE. Join us for a fun day of activities!
May 15: Eye on the Garden: Smile at the Camera!
Students will celebrate “National Photo Month” and will be given cameras to document patterns, shapes, colors and elements of camouflage in nature.
Action Step: Students will create a personal photo album documenting the day’s activities and sharing at the next class.
June 19: The Great Outdoors with Forest Friends!
Students will celebrate “Great Outdoors Month” by learning about valley pollinators. They will learn about the life cycle of insects and investigate how bats navigate and find food.
Action Step: Students will paint a bat house to take home.
July 17: National Picnic Month: What’s On the Menu for our Forest Friends?
What’s more fun than a summer picnic? While hiking our trails, participants will identify sources of food for wildlife. They will then write a “Critter Menu” using information learned.
Action Step: Students will make a Bird Buffet to take home and use in recording food choices of birds.
August 21: “Kiss and Make-up Day” Mr. McGregor & Peter Rabbit Evaluate Each Other’s Point of View
Since Kiss and Make-up Day falls in August, maybe it’s time for Peter Rabbit and Mr. McGregor to understand different points of view. Using literature, participants will explore the use of plants as food for wildlife as well as for people.
Action Step: Students will take home a food plant for a wildlife garden.
September 18: Kids Rock…ROCK ON!
Let’s talk about rocks and soil as its National Collect Rocks Month. One component of soil is small pieces of rock called particles and soil is an important component for plant growth. Participants will learn and hypothesize about soil textures.
Action Step: Students will take home a geode and journal what they find inside.
October 16: Home Sweet Home: National Animal Safety and Protection Month
Learn to design a garden for wildlife. Participants will learn about toads and frogs, and construct a shelter to attract them which can be placed by a pond garden.
Action Step: Students will construct a toad abode to take home
November 20: Now I Know My ABP’s, Next Time Won’t You Sing With Me
National Young Readers Day falls in November so participants will learn their ABP’s. What’s that? Children will learn about plant classifications: annuals, biennials and perennials and practice this knowledge on the trail.
Action Step: Students will make a mini-herbarium booklet with samples of an annual, biennial and perennial.
December 18: Winter Green Holiday Season
The Audubon Society has held its annual Backyard Bird Count in December for 110 years. Many times we rely on our sense of hearing to find birds in trees. Therefore, children will learn to identify various valley birds by their song. They will apply this new skill on the trail and count the different bird species.
Action Step: Students will make an outdoor Holiday Wreath for birds to eat.