Ruth Copeman

Volunteers are drawn to museums in whose subject matter or mission they are interested. For docents this is especially true, since they not only learn while they volunteer, they share their passion for the subject with visitors. The Desert Botanical Garden, which features desert plants from around the world, draws …

How does a botanical garden teach specific scientific topics to children when, in most cases, the plantings were designed for beauty rather than education? How can we encourage children to explore and investigate the collection without hurting the plants or themselves? At many museums and botanical gardens, these challenges are …