Budding Explorers

Budding Explorers is happening at the JC Raulston Arboretum on Saturday, October 17, from 10 AM to 11 AM. It's a hands-on program for kids to see how climate shapes the plants in the garden, and the best part is that they get to plant a resilient plant and take it home with them.

If you've spent any time at the arboretum, you know it's a great spot to just walk and look at what's in bloom, but this is more active. The whole session is built around the connection between weather and growth—how temperature, rain, and the local climate determine which plants thrive and which don't. The kids spend the hour figuring that out by looking at the garden around them, rather than just listening to a talk. Then they put it into practice by planting something that can actually handle the conditions, so they leave with a living example of the lesson.

It's a short, focused window—just one hour on a Saturday morning—which makes it easy to fit in before the rest of your weekend takes over. If you're in Raleigh and have a young one who likes getting their hands dirty, it's a good way to spend a bit of the morning outdoors.

Registration is $8 per participant, and there's no cost for the accompanying adult, so you can bring your kid along without paying twice. The arboretum is at 4415 Beryl Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606, and the program runs from 10 AM to 11 AM on Saturday, October 17.