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Agriculture in the Classroom offers free school tours at learning garden

The Pencil Patch in Abbotsford provides 15 outdoor learning stations
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B.C. Agriculture in the Classroom is offering free school tours of The Pencil Patch learning garden in Abbotsford in April, May and June.

BC Agriculture in the Classroom (BCAITC) Foundation is now booking school tours for a learning garden in Abbotsford.

The Pencil Patch will be open to physically distanced tours for kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms, as well as home-schooled students, in April, May and June.

The learning garden provides fun opportunities for students to learn about B.C. agriculture, including milk history, raised garden beds, pollinators, water, soil, growing zones, the Agriculture Land Reserve, invasive species, greenhouses, crop rotation, and more.

“This year we have focused on the colour yellow and a garden of hope,” said Pat Tonn, BCAITC executive director.

“This plot of flowers will feature yellow blossoms for the Communities in Bloom 2021 Hope is Growing campaign. These bright colour blooms will be symbols of positivity for students that visit the garden during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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With the tours, trained volunteers and/or BCAITC staff guide students through 15 outdoor garden learning stations that feature curriculum connections to primary and intermediate/secondary level agriculture, environment, science, math, fine arts, and language arts.

Tours also feature the Medicine Wheel, a circular garden plot divided into four quadrants featuring indigenous plants native to B.C. that connect to First Nations’ agriculture concepts.

Additionally, students participating in the tours will receive a free carton of milk, compliments of Fraser Valley dairy farmers.

The Pencil Patch is located near Highway 1 and Highway 11 (Sumas Way). Free 90-minute self-guided tours are available April 28, 29, May 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, and June 2 and 3 at select times for K-12 students.

Contact Jessica Birchall at jessica@aitc.ca or call 1-866-517-6225 to register. Space is limited. Visit bcaitc.ca/pencil-patch for more information.

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