Day three of my adventure was at the Memphis Botanic Garden. It was a beautiful day and the perfect weather for outdoor activities. When I arrived at the garden, I noticed that there were several school buses there. I assumed the Botanic Garden must be a hip place 
for elementary school field trips. After checking in with the staff, I found out that they were having their annual World of Plants festival. During this festival, 2nd through 6th grade students travel through the gardens to several different “countries”. At each station they learn a little about how the plants from that country influence the culture there. Students work on crafts, taste food, and learn lots about each country. The festival lasts for two weeks and the Botanic Gardens expect that they will host approximately 9,000 students during this time!
I was assigned to help out Taylor at the Netherlands. Here, students learned about how the individuals from this country make wooden shoes from Tulip Poplar trees (which just so happens to be the TN state tree). Students colored mini wooden shoes and attached magnets to the backs so they could display them at home. I had the opportunity to talk with hundreds of students throughout the day. They all raved about how they loved the festival. One student even said to me, “this is the best field trip ever”! It took most groups approximately one and a half to two hours to visit every country, and at the end of the day they had a large bag of goodies to take home with them.
One employee explained to me that they are usually very busy during the spring season because of the festivals and school groups that come in for field trips. They welcome the 
help from anyone who wants to volunteer. They also have a harvest festival in the fall, which I hear is equally as fun! I had a wonderful time today working with both the awesome employees, and the students outside in the beautiful weather!
Thank you for reading! I’m searching for a job opportunity where I can apply my social work skills and improve our community. If you know of a great fit, please send it our way.