Shangri La’s Wild Wednesday Educational Programs Schedule for the Summer,

June 28, 2010

Contact:
Michael Hoke, Director
409.670.9113
mhoke@shangrilagardens.org



ORANGE, Texas, June 28 – Every Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center will be hosting educational programs from now until August 11.  These programs are free with the cost of admissions.  Please RSVP by calling 409.670.9113.


Come hear fascinating facts about these amazing, though misunderstood, flying mammals. Learn about Shangri La’s historical bat house, and the Mexican free-tailed bats that inhabit it.  We will discuss how you can help these little critters, and you will leave with plans to make your own bat house!  This is a family program. 

Would you be able to survive alone in the wilderness?  In this family-oriented program, you will learn what to do if you are ever stranded in the wilderness.  Come and see if you have what it takes to survive!

We have only one Earth, are you doing your part?  During this family-oriented program, we will discuss famous people who have fought to save the environment and learn about recent incidents, like the Gulf oil spill.  We will show you some things you can do today to make our world a better place for future generations.

Come find out which critters have been skulking around your property!  This family-oriented program will help you to identify local animal tracks. We will explore and identify tracks and other clues animals leave behind.

During this adult-oriented program, we will discuss the complexities of succession and how it changes the world around us. As we explore succession at Shangri La, we will discuss how it affects wildlife management, forestry, and endangered species.
 
Are all ladybugs females?  Why are ladybugs red? Children will learn fun facts about ladybugs while participating in hands-on activities.  We will release ladybugs into our Children’s Garden!  
 
Running out of ideas for preparing fruits and vegetables?  Add to your recipe collection with some of our favorites.  During this adult-oriented program, we will gather and cook some delicious foods from our Children’s Garden.  While we cook, we will discuss the hows and whys of organic gardening.

Located at 2111 West Park Avenue in Orange, Texas, Shangri La is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday. For more information call 409.670.9113 or visit shangrilagardens.org.


 
Nestled within 252 acres in the heart of Orange, Texas, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is a program of the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a private foundation whose mission is to improve and enrich the quality of life in Southeast Texas and encourage and assist education. The unique ecosystem of Shangri La presents an ideal opportunity to further that mission as well as carry on the vision of H.J. Lutcher Stark, the man who originally developed the gardens more than 60 years ago.
 
Amid nature's pristine ecosystems, the formal gardens at Shangri La reflect a use of more than 300 plant species to paint beautiful landscapes among a series of theme-based garden rooms.  Around every corner a new vista awaits the visitor with exquisite sculptures, a great lawn, serene waterscapes reflecting beautiful colors and a Cypress Gate framing blooming plants and soaring birds. The Nature Center includes Adams Bayou boat excursions to educational outposts, a 15-acre Beaver Pond, a state-of-the-art bird blind, a bat house, and more up-close encounters with nature.
 
Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is the first project in Texas and the 50th project in the world to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's Platinum Certification for LEED®-NC, which verifies that the design and construction of Shangri La reached the highest green building and performance measures.  Shangri La was also named by the American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment as one of the top 10 green projects throughout the world.
 
Shangri La offers a glimpse of how people can live in harmony with nature, as it strives in its mission to Mentor Children of All Ages to Be Kind to Their World.
 
Other programs of the Stark Foundation include the Stark Museum of Art, The W.H. Stark House and the Frances Ann Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts.