Children’s Story Hour and Tree Talk at the Botanical Garden

Children are fabulous little human beings that can run for hours, thanks to their seemingly boundless energy. But at some point, youngsters must stop to rest and eat. Both their tummies and their minds must be filled regularly. Healthy diets for young minds include adventure, exploration and new discoveries that can be found in, you guessed it, books and nature.

These activities are in plentiful supply this summer at the Historic Atkins-Porter Neighborhood Botanical Garden, 311 Jackson Street in Paris. K-6th graders and their parents/caregivers are invited to “Children’s Story Hour” and “Tree Talk” beginning June 2. All events are free, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Adults should bring their own chairs.

Tree Talk,” presented by Ranger Joan Howe of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR), will be held each Thursday in June at 10:30 a.m. The morning will include entertaining, lively discussions about trees coupled with hands-on activities.

Children’s Story Hour” will take place on Mondays, June 13, 20, 27 and July 11 at 10:30 a.m. Led by W.G. Rhea Public Library Children’s Librarian Kayla Nation, the event includes story time as well as fun, related activities.

This is the second year that the Historic Atkins-Porter Neighborhood Association has partnered with the library to bring the Children’s Story Hour to the botanical garden. Last year everyone from the youngsters to the grownups had a terrific time as Kayla introduced them to exciting, new books and activities.

Because this historic neighborhood is filled to the brim with a wide variety of trees, HAPNA reached out to Ranger Howe for ways to educate our community’s youth about these marvels of nature. Thankfully, she agreed to partner on children’s tree programming. We are grateful to both Joan and Kayla for joining us at the botanical garden to enrich young minds.

We hope these events encourage parents and caregivers not only to visit the botanical garden regularly, but also to visit our local library and wildlife refuge. There are endless things to see and do at the W.G. Rhea Public Library in Downtown Paris and at the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, just 15 minutes from Paris. Both are free, fun and engaging for children of all ages.”