WOODBRIDGE, Va. —
Nestled between Chinn Park Library and Chinn Park Rec Center is a new special garden.
This space officially opened on June 3 and is now known as the Chinn Park Children's Garden. Open year-round, the garden is an area where kids can learn more about nature and grow a passion for the environment.
It was all made possible in part by the Garden Club of Lake Ridge.
Debbie Walker, the President of the Garden Club of Lake Ridge, spoke about the garden saying that it provides, "a space where children can come, get to learn about nature, see the plants, touch the plants, be able to smell the herbs, it's a garden intended for them to engage all of their senses. What we want to do is to plant seeds for them [of] the love of nature so that hopefully when they are a little bit older they'll be good stewards of the nature that's around them, the environment."
The garden will partner with the Chinn Park Preschool Program as well as the Library to help kids learn about the environment.
The Chinn Park Children's Garden was also made possible by Keep Prince William Beautiful.
Rico Fleshman the Executive Director at Keep Prince William Beautiful spoke about how this garden will impact children.
“Kids can learn about the environment in this garden because it's an actual tactile garden. They can touch the plants, they can feel them, smell them, [because] they're outside," Fleshman said.
The Chinn Park Children's Garden not only helps the environment through education but also through what is inside. In the garden, you can find different native plants which will benefit our pollinators. You can also find a mailbox that is full of educational materials for kids to take home with them.
WATCH NEXT: Esteem Program teaches STEM in Virginia schools