The Junior Master Gardener (JMG) participants went on their annual summer field trip. This year’s trip was to Milwaukee to see some of the city’s botany and garden highlights.

At Victory Gardens, the JMG youth learned how even the most unfortunate, abandoned place can be made into green garden space. The youth toured the gardens, played a variety of activities, and tasted raw honey from a beehive. Victory Gardens is an urban garden initiative that strives to build communities that grow their own food, creating a community-based, socially just, environmentally sustainable, nutritious food system for all.

At the Mitchell Domes, the youth we’re able to explore a “show” dome, desert dome, and tropical dome. The desert dome and tropical dome include environments from all over the world, such as South Africa, South America, Australia, and Madagascar.

The field trip ended with a trip to an ice cream shop and a JMG t-shirt. A total of 31 participants joined the field trip, including parents and grandparents, Boys and Girls Club youth, and Master Gardener volunteers. The feedback was very positive. The parents felt that this year’s field trip was a “good experience” for their kids, particularly learning about the urban gardens.