The University of Tennessee Gardens, Knoxville

Garden Discovery Camps

2021 Summer Camp registration is online!

We have limited camp scholarships available. Contact Derrick Stowell at dstowell@utk.edu for more information.

Publicity Release - Upon enrolling in a UT Gardens program, the parent/guardian authorizes the University of Tennessee to use photographs, quotes or video footage from the camp program for the purpose of marketing. In the event that you do NOT want images of your child publicized, you MUST provide written notice to our Education Director prior to the start of camp. The request must be made via email to dstowell@utk.edu.

**Please review our cancellation policy before registering**

Lil Gardeners (ages 4-5)

Butterfly Week

Date: 7/19/2021-7/23/2021

Session 1 IS FULL! The morning session is closed for registrations.
Session 2 Time" 12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $75/members; $88/nonmembers

Note: This camp is only half a day. Participants should only register for one of the two options for the week. The activities will be the same for both time slots.

Join us this week to learn all about butterflies! We will go searching for butterflies in the garden, learn about the different colors and sizes butterflies can be, and take home a plant that butterflies like. This week will be full of fun as we play in the garden and learn all about butterflies.

Garden Explorers: Wind and Water

Explorers (ages 6-12)

World Explorer Camp

Date: 6/7/2021-6/11/2021

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Cost: $150/members; $175/nonmembers

Fly around the world with us during this exciting week of camp! We will explore the rainforest, learn about different plants that can live in the desert, and learn about our very own hotspot for biodiversity here in Tennessee. You will take home your very own plant, play games, and learn about different countries and ecosystems around the world. We’re going to have a world of fun!

This camp session is full!

Geology Camp

Date: 6/28/2021-7/2/2021

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $150 garden members/ $175 nonmembers

Did you know that geology has a huge impact on gardening? A geologist is a person who studies the earth or sometimes the things under the Earth or even things outside the Earth. This week we will learn about rocks and minerals, how craters are formed, and even the types of rocks that are most likely to have fossils in them. We will also learn how each of these affects the plants we can grow all while thinking like a geologist. We are so excited for this camp because geology rocks!

This camp session is full!

Tasty Plants Camp
Date: 7/12/2021 - 7/16/2021
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $150 garden members/ $175 nonmembers

Here at the UT Gardens, we love to eat, especially things we have grown! During this camp, we will learn all about how to grow plants to eat, how to harvest them, and how to prepare them for a delicious snack or meal. We will make every effort to make this camp as food allergy friendly as possible, but if you have concerns about it, you are welcome to bring appropriate alternatives and to contact Whitney Welch with questions (wwelch@tennessee.edu). Come cook in the garden with us!
This camp session is full!

Garden Explorers Butterfly Week
Date: 7/26/2021 - 7/30-2021
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $150 garden members/ $175 nonmembers

Note: This camp is only for children between the ages of 6 and 12. See the Lil Gardeners’ Camp for younger children.

Did you know that there are butterflies all over the world that travel hundreds of miles during their lives? Butterflies come in all sorts of colors and patterns, too. This week we will learn about butterflies that we have in the garden and even about butterflies that live on the other side of the world! Join us for a fun week of learning about butterflies and the plants they like and playing games in the garden. We can’t wait to see you!
This camp session is full!

Theater in the Garden Camp

Ages from 9-12 years old.

Date: 6/14/2021-6/18/2021

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Cost: $150/members; $175/nonmembers

Have you ever dreamed of being on stage? Or maybe you just want to learn how to be comfortable speaking in front of people? This is the camp for you! During theater camp we will play fun theater games and learn easy techniques for increasing your comfort while public speaking and acting. We will take time to learn about plants and animals that live at the garden throughout the week as well. Could you imagine a more fun combination: theater and the garden? We can’t either, so join us for a great week of camp!
This camp session is full!

Photo of Bobby Cook

Specialty/Partner Camps

Nature Art Camp

Ages 5-12 years old.

June 2-4, 2021
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
$90 members/$105 nonmembers

It is always so fun to make art, so why not make it outside? During this week of camp, we will make art using natural materials in the garden. Some of our pieces will be temporary while some you will get to take home. All will be a celebration of your creativity! This is a three-day camp. We will have two groups divided by age; one will be for 5- 8-year-olds while the other will be for 9-12-year-olds. Each group will have loads of fun making art in the garden!

This camp session is full!

Teen Photography Lab

June 28-July 1, 2021

UT Gardens is excited to partner with Abigail Malone Photography to host part of the 2021 Teen Photography Lab. This program is in collaboration with with Abigail Malone, The University of Tennessee & Knox Darkroom.

Do you LOVE Photography? Would you enjoy a fun experience with peers doing something you love? Do you want to be more confident in creating beautiful and artistic images? Would you like to experience being a featured artist in a gallery show?

*Payment for this program will be made to Abigail Malone Photography. This For more information/cost/schedule visit: https://abigailmalone.com/teen-photo-lab.

Camp with a Master Gardener

Ages 6-12
Date: 7/7/2021 - 7/9/2021
Time: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Cost: $50/members; $60/nonmembers

Are you interested in gardening? Do you know the importance of pollinators? At the Garden Explorer Camp, Gardens staff along with the Knox County Master Gardeners, will teach you some of the basics of gardening! Activities include the proper way to pot a plant, how to water your garden, the importance of pollinators, exploring wetlands, and more!

This camp session is full!

https://abigailmalone.com/teen-photo-lab