Youngsters Feed Curiosity, Exercise Green Thumbs in ESC Visit

Fifteen preschoolers from Penn College's Children's Learning Center paid a visit to the Schneebeli Earth Science Center on Tuesday to help plant flower bulbs, play in the children's garden and take in a view of the pond. Students in horticulture instructor Carl J. Bower's Landscape Operations lab got a chance to work with the youngsters, whose playground on main campus is off-limits for a few weeks until recently laid sod another project involving Bower's students, working with a college General Services crew takes hold. "The children wanted to come over and check out the Idea Garden that the Landscape Operations students have built over the past few years," said Bower, who also provided photos of the day's activities. Among elements of the Idea Garden is a children's area with features such as a giant birds' nest, tree-stump seats and a flagstone hopscotch path. They also planted daffodils in the garden during their visit. "My students had fun working with the kids planting"¦ they actually had more fun than they thought they would!" Before the youngsters left, they played ball on the recreation field, walked around the pond and had a snack at the pavilion. "Many got muddy, they caught a few worms and enjoyed a day without rain," Bower added. "Overall, it was a good day."