Garden Club of St. Petersburg
Youth Activities
Children are our future and developing an awareness of the necessity of protecting our environment is important. Therefore, the Garden Club of St. Petersburg supports a variety of different youth programs and activities throughout the year.
Youth projects supported by the Garden Club are:

Summer Youth Nature Camp

Dates: June 3 - 7, 2024
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Garden Center

This is a 1 week camp for children in grades 1st - 5th. Each day an environmental or gardening topic is explored with activities, crafts, and a speaker. Garden Club members plan, teach and supervise all activities.  The Garden Club is fortunate to have many retired teachers who spearhead this project. In the past, there has been 1 instructor for each 1-2 campers. Your children will learn about nature and have fun too. The cost is $30 for each student; siblings are $25.00 each.

Wekiva Youth Camp

The Wekiva Youth Camp is an environmental education program begun in 1959 as a Junior Nature Camp where garden club volunteers helped to instill a love, concern, and desire to protect the flora and fauna of our beautiful state of Florida. The camp is owned and operated by FFGC in Apopka for students in grades 1-8. To learn more about Camp Wekiva, go to the website here: Wekiva Youth Camp

Girl Scout Badges

The National Garden Club and the Girl Scouts of America offer young ladies education in gardening and in Florida Native  Plants and awards that are acknowledged with two specific badges, the Native Plant Badge offered through the National  Garden Club and the Girl Scout Gardener badge. GCSP  members are needed to attend Girl Scout meetings and or consult with troops on their garden designs and plant selections. Master Gardeners are needed for the Native Plant  Badge and GCSP members for the Gardening Badge. These badges can be achieved with your attendance at two productive troop meetings. The troop leaders will assist the girls in completing the additional badge requirements.  

Mary Frances Lawrie Youth Scholarship

Mary Frances Lawrie was president of the Garden Club of St. Petersburg for two terms. She was a devoted garden club member and worked tirelessly to make it what it is today. While president, the club grew in membership, outreach, and a focus on youth. This was the result of Mary Frances having been a public school teacher for her entire career with a deep love for children. She had a mother’s heart even though she had no children of her own. Her legacy lives on in the generous donation she made to the garden club upon her passing.

S.E.E.K. - Save the Earth’s Environment through Knowledge

S.E.E.K. is an annual 4-day Environmental Conference for high school students. The conference is sponsored by Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. (FFGC) for the purpose of instilling a love and respect for the REAL Florida in our youth through nature study, conservation, and protection of our environment for the future of our state and planet. The SEEK conference focuses on student initiative, leadership, and today’s critical environmental issues:

  • climate change, energy conservation, alternative energy, and sustainability
  • water quality and quantity (water pollution and water conservation)
  • loss of wildlife habitat due to deforestation and development

School Gardens

Members of the GCSP work with students at elementary, middle, and high schools to plant and maintain school gardens throughout the county.