You are viewing ARCHIVED content published online before January 20, 2025.
Please note that this content is NOT UPDATED, and links may not work. For current information,
visit https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/index.htm.
Online Voting Open Through May 28 at www.first-bloom.org The First Bloom Group with Winning Design Will Win an Overnight Trip to a National Park WASHINGTON, DC (April 26, 2010) – Local youth from the Boys & Girls Club of Michigan City are competing in the National Park Foundation’s First Bloom garden design contest. First Bloom gives 4th- 6th grade youth around the country firsthand experience in national parks. Park rangers at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore have worked with the youth all year, teaching important conservation lessons including the difference between native and invasive plant species. Now, through May 28, 2010, the public is invited to vote on garden designs, the First Bloom group with the most votes will win a free trip to a national park. “These students have worked on the project for an entire year. They have studied conservation, national parks and native plant species,” said national lakeshore park ranger and instructor Ted Winterfeld. “They designed a garden that incorporates those lessons with the knowledge they gained during their one of their visits to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to a native garden site on Kemil Road in the park.” “All you have to do is take one look at these garden designs, and you can see the thought and care that our First Bloom kids put into these,” said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “That excitement will grow into a lifelong connection to the national parks.” The local First Bloom Members are from all three of the Boys and Girls Club of Michigan City sites. During the program, they had several visits to the park including an all day tour of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, an afternoon at Chellberg Farm learning how sap flows in maple trees and removing invasive plants near the new native garden site at Kemil Road parking lot. On May 22, 2010, members will be planting the native garden. To participate in the online voting, and to view a gallery of the First Bloom garden designs, please visit First Bloom youth taking part in the contest were encouraged to be creative in both their design, and the presentations of their designs – which ranged from drawings to models made of clay, and – in one case – cookies. The garden design contest is the culmination of a year of project work for the First Bloom students in partnership with their local national parks, where they have learned important lessons about stewardship and conservation. The nationwide program is currently taking place in 26 national parks in partnership with 31 youth groups across the country. To learn more about the First Bloom program, visit www.first-bloom.org. About Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/nationalpark |
Last updated: April 10, 2015