Special to The Leader

 

Saturday Adventure Series classes are designed for families to experience the natural world together. Bring the whole family for nature-related fun including hands-on opportunities, interesting experiences, and interactive games.

Classes last for one hour, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and are included with general admission. Stark Cultural Members Free. Attendees should meet at Shangri La Garden’s Admissions window.

 

Fall 2016 Saturday Adventure Series Includes:

 

September 17 – Beneath the Bayou, Explore the hidden world of wetlands with family and take a look below the surface to discover some bottom-dwelling critters. Many insects start their lives underwater, and it’s surprising what they can tell us!

September 24 – A Dig Through Time, Help is needed to unearth ancient artifacts and explain their undiscovered uses. Practice archaeological excavation techniques and install a Cartesian grid over the area. Bring the whole family and be ready to get a little dirty as we dig through time!

 

October 1 – Buzz Off: Keeping Insects at Bay the Natural Way, The heat may be fading, but the mosquitoes sure aren’t! Join friends and neighbors for a family-friendly program and discover which plants can keep people bite-free this fall. Then, create a natural insect repellent to bring home.

October 8 – Budding Botanists, There are so many plants at Shangri La Gardens! How do we tell them all apart? Enjoy a family program and learn some of the key features that scientists use for identifying plants. Before “leafing,” become a junior botanist and make a take-home field guide!

October 15 – Swamp Symphony, Frogs, birds and bugs sing sweet songs just in time for symphony weekend. Join the critter chorus and perform a new swamp symphony using sounds found in nature, then make and take a bamboo wind chime! Make sure to bring the whole family as an audience is very appreciated!

 

October 22 – The Dirt on Soil, Every garden starts in the same place: the soil. Discover how soil helps plants grow and get all ten fingers dirty during some hands-on experiments. Then use the findings to make and take soil wrapped seed bomb.

October 29 – Bat Buddies, Creepy critters of the night, do they give you a great fright? Come to Shangri La Gardens and see that bats are friends to me! Just in time for Halloween, and fun for the whole family!

 

November 12 – Survival Part 1: Foraging for Flowers, Fruit & Foliage, Bring the whole family to discover which plants are edible around the gardens. Then explore the art of foraging by collecting and sampling plants. Boost basic survival skills by learning which plant parts are palatable and what nutrition they provide!

November 19 – Survival Part 2: Trials of the Trial, There are no hospitals in the forest! What happens if someone gets hurt? Prepare family and friends for hunting season with an adventure walk on one of Shangri La Garden’s secret trails while learning how to handle emergencies in the wilderness. During this program, visitors will walk on a forested trail about 1/2 mile with slightly uneven terrain, so please wear comfortable walking shoes!

Pricing for Shangri La Gardens:

• Admission for Stark Cultural Members is FREE
• Adults (age: 18-64)   $6.00
• Senior (age: 65 and up)  $5.00
• Student (w/current I.D.)  $5.00
• Youth (age: 10 to 17)  $5.00
• Child (age: 4 to 9)  $2.00
• Toddler (age 3 and under) FREE

 

Shangri La is located at 2111 W. Park Avenue in Orange, Texas, and is open  9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tues. –Sat. For more information, visit shangrilagardens.org.