Older students will explore the function of an urban garden and what it can bring to people and creatures in our community. Groups discuss subjects such as providing habitat for pollinators, the proven benefits of nature exposure for humans, the value of seeing where your food comes from, the nutritional and environmental benefits of eating local, unprocessed foods and the state of urban farming in NYC today.

This lesson offers a primer on plant identification through leaves, opening the door for a lifetime of connection with nature - even within the city! Students will learn about different leaf shapes, textures and vein arrangements, chart the progression of a plant from seed to seedling, discover the leaf's many functions, and be given the vocabulary to talk about different leaves. Putting knowledge into practice, they'll explore our garden and practice drawing, labeling and identifying leaves.

Students receive a lesson on edible plant parts, and learn to consider and determine which part of the plant they're eating when they're enjoying a fruit or vegetables. They'll explore our vegetable and herb garden, observing progressions from seed to shoot, flower bud to flower, and flower to fruit, and discuss which parts of each plant are edible. Plant Parts helps students of all ages contextualize their food on a living plant and re-frame how they think about the origin of what they are eating.

Our youngest visitors are put in touch with their five senses through grounding exercises, and asked to take a moment to tune out city sounds and stimuli and focus on our little pocket of urban green. Students receive basic tools for finding calm within a city environment, and engage deeply with the plants through sight, smell, touch and taste.