The Explorer’s Backpack Program

The Explorer’s Backpack is a science program involving elementary age children and their families in hands-on, discovery-oriented learning in the Native Plant Garden of the New Hanover County Arboretum. Each backpack includes a field journal filled with activities for the children to investigate in the garden. These activities are investigations that botanists would do in their everyday work. All the tools needed for the activities are included in the backpacks. Backpacks are available for checkout weekdays between 10am-3pm at the Plant Clinic located inside the Hutaff Building.

There are nine Explorer’s Backpacks: three “Eye Spy” Backpacks; three Bird Backpacks; and three Native Plants Backpacks. Description and contents of each backpack are given below.

• The “Eye Spy” Explorer’s Backpack
• The family goes on a scavenger hunt observing living things.
  Tools include:
  Field Journal
  Two Magnifying Glasses
  Two Clipboards
  Colored Pencils
  Pencil Sharpener

• The Bird Explorer’s Backpack
  The family explores a bird’s habitat and observes birds or signs of birds in the garden.
  Tools include:
  Field Journal
  Two Binoculars
  Colored Pencils
  Two Clipboards
  Bird Guide
  Pencil Sharpener

• The Native Plants Explorer’s Backpack
  The family reads a book and discovers parts of a plant in the garden.
  Tools include:
  Field Journal
  Two Magnifying Glasses
  Two Clipboards
  Colored Pencils
  Ruler
  Pencil Sharpener
  Mechanical Pencil
  From Seed to Plant Book