The “Discovery Room” at Viles Arboretum, which has provided opportunities for hands-on learning since it launched in January of 2021, is set to close at the end of May. In collaboration with the Children’s Discovery Museum, the room has been outfitted to create opportunities for exploration, with a nature sensory table, train table, loose-parts ball ramps, imaginative farmers market, microscopes and more.
In the spring, the two organizations will be launching a new offering in the Viles Visitor Center that builds on the incredible experiences that the Discovery Room provided for the community. A new touch tank experience will highlight aquatic organisms from the Viles property as well as a sensory table where youth can interact with, and learn more about, some of the region's diverse flora and fauna. This experience will be available at no cost to the public during Viles Arboretum's regular Visitor Center hours, and no reservation is necessary.
“We launched the Children's Discovery Room during the height of the pandemic in response to the needs of so many families for a safe space for children to learn and explore,” commented Viles Arboretum Executive Director, Ryan Martin. “As vaccines have become more widespread and the rate of community infection has decreased, we feel it's time to retire this program and repurpose our efforts in other ways.”
Viles Arboretum is a free, easily accessible, botanical garden and nature center that is open from dawn to dusk, seven days a week on Hospital Street in downtown Augusta. The space includes six miles of trails, dozens of botanical collections, and local art (all marked and signed), on 224 acres. Viles Arboretum's preserved land, interpretive materials, exhibits, programs & events, and our trail system are designed for people of all ages to provide opportunities for education, recreation, and inspiration.
The Children’s Discovery Museum has been serving families in Central Maine for nearly 30 years, with a mission to ignite curiosity and celebrate learning through play. The museum has been closed since the start of the pandemic but is slated to open a brand new museum in Waterville in late 2022. “Partnering with Viles continues to be a fantastic and important way for the museum to carry out our mission in the Augusta area,” Executive Director Amarinda Keys said, “It’s a chance for us to serve families, and ensure that children have opportunities for rich, hands-on learning. We are very appreciative of this partnership.”
For more information about Viles and their hours of operation, visit www.vilesarboretum.org.
