The Benefits of Botany Classes

While your child may have some exposure to how plants work in their classroom, an education in botany goes far beyond what they’ve probably been taught. There are many excellent reasons to seek out a specialized botany course for your kids, and to encourage their interest in plants, farming, and foraging.

It Will Help to Keep Them Safe

It’s not possible to know every single species of plants or their characters, but even an introduction course to botany will go a long way to familiarizing your child with plants they want to avoid, like poison ivy, deadly nightshade, or hemlock. Beyond that, botany courses will impress upon your kid that it’s vital to respect plants and to avoid eating or touching anything they don’t recognize.

It Will Teach Gardening

Home gardening is an incredible skill that can lead to delicious, pesticide-free foods and help to reduce the impact of climate change. Learning how to grow your own food early on can give your kids a greater appreciation of where food comes from and will make them want to learn more about cooking healthy, delicious meals.

It Will Encourage Them to Question Their Food Source

Even food from the grocery store is grown on a farm and eventually ends up on your plate. When your kids have a good sense of how food is created, they often want to know where theirs is created as well. This can lead to powerful conversations on food waste and industrial farming, and you can discuss the benefits of eating locally.

It Will Showcase Science

Botany isn’t an isolated scientific discipline. When your kids seek out plants and vegetables, they’ll also come into contact with bugs, spiders, and birds that help to keep the plants growing right. Weather patterns, soil chemistry, and local ecosystems all play a role in plant growth and will encourage your kid to learn all they can.

It Will Foster Discourse

Combining conversations about where food comes from with other science skills, you’ll be able to have frank and honest discussions about climate change and how it’s impacting the environment. When they see their own plants working to survive, they’ll be more conscientious about recycling, waste, and driving, and perhaps help to inspire others.

There are many great reasons to enroll your kids in botany classes or encourage gardening in the school. At Ripplequest.com you will find the experts and resources you need to get started.