If you’ve ever participated in a docent-guided tour of the 95-year-old Oak Park Conservatory, you likely know the feeling you experience afterward. You’ve discovered something new or learned about a unique plant and carry that spark with you which can be shared with others.
Since our founding in 1986, The Friends have offered docent-guided tours of the Oak Park Conservatory. The tours are tailored to each group or grade level and are focused on science and horticulture, climate, and geography. Thousands of preschool through high school students have learned about the difference in rainfall between Mediterranean, tropical, and desert regions.
They have learned about plant defense mechanisms, water retention, and how plants are a source of food for a wide array of creatures. Maybe most importantly, they are curious to understand how they can be stewards of the earth.
This summer, we welcomed a group of Chicago Public Schools students from the After School Matters program for the second year. These kids, ages 14-18, applied for the Horticulture and Botany summer course. Their teacher brought them to the Oak Park Conservatory for a docent-guided tour to expand their knowledge of plants and climate and to also spark their curiosity about a future in horticulture. The connections our docents make with these kids and all who tour the Conservatory are essential to our vision of cultivating the future.
The Friends have great potential to impact lives in many different ways. From free early childhood programs to adult educational gardening lectures to special events for families, our work is only possible with community support.
We invite you to help expand our efforts to reach residents from surrounding communities with new opportunities and programs. Please help sustain The Friends and the historic Conservatory by donating to the Annual Appeal HERE.
