Klorane Botanical Foundation + KidsGardening Announce Thurston High School Winner of 2019 Budding Botanist Grant

REDFORD, Mich. - May 8, 2019 - PRLog -- Dedicated to supporting global initiatives to protect the plant universe and biodiversity, Klorane Botanical Foundation, Klorane's corporate foundation, and national nonprofit KidsGardening, a leader in the school gardening movement, are proud to announce Thurston High School as a winner of the second annual Budding Botanist Grant.

The Klorane Botanical Foundation is collaborating with KidsGardening to help provide more children with the opportunity to be connected to nature through garden-based learning. Impact reports conducted by the national nonprofit, KidsGardening, reveal that kids who garden show an 86% increase in environmental stewardship.

"The Budding Botanist grant provides our youngest citizens with the opportunity to value their environment, explore the plant world, and inspires them to take care of the life they discover in their local ecosystems," says KidsGardening Executive Director Helen Rortvedt. "At a time when most children can identify up to 200 logos but are unable to identify plants in their own backyard, garden programs like this are more important than ever."

"Sharing botanical knowledge all around the world, with a particular focus on educating children, is key to the Klorane Botanical Foundation's core mission," says Jacqueline Flam, Chief Marketing Officer, Klorane. "This makes it especially gratifying to support the Budding Botanist Grant Program, a tremendous opportunity to work with these deserving schools in empowering them to bring green spaces back to our cities."

See a 2018 Budding Botanist Grant Winner, Academy for Global Citizenship, Chicago, IL, on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hcAP8FLPSM.



One of six winning schools across the country, Thurston High School has been awarded a Budding Botanist Grant package valued at $3000 in cash and supplies to provide resources for creating learning gardens with their students. The school was selected for its commitment to teaching environmental sustainability and biodiversity and is utilizing the Budding Botanist Grant to support their goal of creating a new rain garden.

Rain gardens are created in areas plagued by water runoff from roads, buildings and parking lots and are designed with plants that can hold water so the runoff can slowly infiltrate back into the soil as the plants, mulch and soil naturally remove pollutants.  The new rain garden will increase biodiversity and watershed health, while also combating invasive species. Their new garden will be a hands-on learning lab for high school students and an opportunity for school district elementary and middle schools classes, who can visit to learn and explore.

According to Thurston High School student Sara Borsodi, "There will be so much exploring and learning in our new rain garden, and with it the opportunity to apply classroom skills to real life."

"We can take this critical thinking and apply it to our rain garden by deciding what plant species we need to plant in order to attract certain insects, birds, and small mammals that increase biodiversity, sustainability and improve our watershed."

On Thursday, May 23, the Klorane Botanical Foundation and KidsGardening will help host a garden project and celebration at the school in honor of receiving the Budding Botanist Grant, and to raise awareness around the impact of teaching children to protect nature through growing, caring for and living with plants.

·          Date: Thursday, May 23, 2019
·          Time: 9:30–10:30 AM
·          Address: 26141 SCHOOLCRAFT, REDFORD, MI 48239

If you're interested in attending or for more information, please contact Holly Hereau at 313-535-4000 x 1121 or one of the following KidsGardening team members:

Local KidsGardening Contact:
Beth Saunders
beths@kidsgardening.org
617-921-6551
KidsGardening Contact:
Maree Gaetani
mareeg@kidsgardening.org
802-324-3699

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS ON THE 2019 BUDDING BOTANIST GRANT, KLORANE BOTANICAL FOUNDATION AND/OR KIDSGARDENING.