PRESS RELEASE
June 20, 2007
Funds to Support New Educational Programs for Children
SAN DIEGO – Quail Botanical Gardens of Encinitas will receive $250,000 in county allocated funds to support its latest educational program in the Children’s Garden - Seeds of Wonder - designed to educate young people about nature.
The funds were allocated by county Supervisor Pam Slater-Price and supported by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors at the June 19 board meeting. The Quail Botanical Gardens requested the support to dramatically expand the Children’s Garden to include such items as a climbing tree, live butterfly and hummingbird exhibits, a “scent” garden, “weird” plants, and even a “bog.” The expansion is set for completion in 2009.
“These types of exhibits spark not only the imagination, but also an interest in learning about nature,” Slater-Price said. “This expansion will be a complementary addition to the already educational as well as cultural Quail Botanical Gardens and a benefit to the entire County of San Diego.”
In April 2003, the Gardens opened the Children Garden’s Seeds of Wonder – the first interactive children’s garden on the West Coast. The Seeds of Wonder garden includes a grassy "rolling hill," an exotic Baby Dinosaur Forest, the "Secret Garden" and other features. The 30-acre Quail Botanical Gardens feature nearly 4,000 kinds of plants and last year reached an all-time high of more than 150,000 visitors.
Gardens Executive Director Julian Duval said he was “elated” with the county’s allocation and looked forward to finishing the Seeds of Wonder expansion.
“Helping children to understand their role in preserving and enjoying nature at an early age will make an immense difference in how we proceed in caring for the planet we all depend on,” Duval said.
For more information on the Quail Botanical Gardens, logon to www.qbgardens.com.
CONTACT: Erica Holloway at (619) 531-5857.
