The Virginia Living Museum recently celebrated Earth Day with the opening of an exciting new addition to their children’s garden – a thoughtfully designed Sensory Garden that invites young visitors to explore the natural world through touch, smell, and sound. This innovative project represents a collaboration between the museum’s Green Teens program and Virginia Natural Gas, highlighting how our corporate sponsor friends can inspire the next generation of scientists, doctors, and environmental stewards.
A Garden for the Senses
Located behind the Wason Education Center, the new Sensory Garden elevates the VLM experience by encouraging children to connect with plants in a more immersive way. Rather than just observing nature from a distance, young visitors can now:
- Touch various plant textures, from velvety leaves to rough bark
- Smell aromatic herbs and fragrant flowers
- Listen to the natural sounds created by rustling plants and seed pods as seasons change
This multi-sensory approach to learning about plants creates an engaging and accessible experience for children of all ages and abilities.
Green Teens Leading the Way
At the heart of this project are the Green Teens–high school volunteers who donate their time, energy, and passion to make a tangible difference in their community. Through hands-on projects like the recently opened Sensory Garden, Green Teens develop valuable skills in leadership, problem solving, and STEM while fostering a deeper connection to the natural world. The program not only benefits the museum with enthusiastic volunteer support but also shapes the next generation of environmental stewards by providing meaningful experiences that connect classroom learning with real-world conservation efforts.
For our Earth Day opening, Kira Mosher of Tabb High School represented the Green Teens alongside Virginia Natural Gas to celebrate the completion of the garden’s first phase. Her presence and enthusiasm were a testament to the passion and leadership that define the Green Teens program.
The Museum was deeply grateful for the support of Virginia Natural Gas, whose partnership helped make this garden a reality. Their sponsorship empowered our youth volunteers to create something purposeful for the community—a space where children could explore the natural world in new and exciting ways.
Written by Stefanie Dunn, our Advancement Director.
