The Office of Sustainability took to Mishawaka on July 10th to have fun with some local kids while educating them about sustainability.
Hosted by Mishawaka Parks and Recreation and held at Castle Manor in Merrifield Park, 1000 E. Mishawaka Ave., Mishawaka, the Camp offers ten themed weeks with guest speakers all along the way. Topics range from “Healthy Lifestyles” to “Animals” and everything in between.
Week six, “Go Green” week, focused on the environment and how it relates to humans. “We had Alicia Vasto from your office come out to our camp last year and talk to our campers”, said Camp Director Joseph Walter. “I remember the kids really enjoyed having her there.”
This year Myles Robertson and Tammy Yankel of the Office jumped in a Zipcar to talk to the kids about sustainability and help them create their own terrarium. “When explaining sustainability”, said Myles Robertson, “I often use the analogy of a terrarium to help give people a representation of what I’m talking about. It seemed like a natural fit to have the kids make their own.”
After a brief introduction into the way a terrarium works and how it relates to the Earth, the kids created their own using Ball jars, pebbles, potting mix, Dusty Millers, and a little water.
The kids enjoyed the hands on activity and grasped the concepts well, said Robertson. In an email to Robertson and Yankel inviting them back next year, Walter said, “The kids are still talking about their terrariums and are very excited about them.”
Once the terrariums were completed the campers partook in environmental Pictionary to finish out the day.