Gardenkids of Kemah aims to help local youth 'protect, plant and play'

Although COVID-19 has limited or halted some of the nonprofit’s four annual events and six ongoing programs, project lead Sheila Thorne said she and the staff hope to continue “encouraging and embracing a greater community for our kids.”

Prior to the pandemic, the nonprofit offered a free monthly cooking class at a local church’s commercial kitchen. Families would come and cook with their children using home-grown produce from the nonprofit’s garden, Thorne said, and the class allowed attendees to learn food cutting and preparation skills through easy-to-cook dishes.

The cooking classes, however, are on hold, and Gardenkids of Kemah is trying to shift some activities virtually; the nonprofit hopes to work with Helen Hall Library to offer video classes.

“We’re trying to adapt, technology-wise. ... The last thing on anybody’s mind [before COVID-19 was technology],” Thorne added.

This fall, the nonprofit will work with Dickinson’s 4H troops for the Master Beekeeper Junior class. Other programs include the Junior Master Gardener and pollinator highway project, the latter of which is another major focus of Gardenkids of Kemah’s work in the coming months.

Gardenkids of Kemah aims to help save bees and butterflies by creating a network of plants to feed and nurture the pollinator populations, Thorne said. The goal is to install 5,000 pollinator-friendly plants throughout Galveston County in backyards, gardens and open green spaces.

Small group activities and workshops on the farm will take place with no more than 10 people this fall and follow proper health and safety guidelines, Thorne said. The property is viewable by appointment only and includes multiple garden beds, fruit trees, herbs and small livestock, such as rabbits, chickens, goats and honeybees.

Gardenkids of Kemah’s programs allow Houstonians to enjoy farm life without living on a farm, learn about where food comes from or help with pollination efforts, Thorne said.

“It doesn’t matter where they live. ... That’s the beauty of our program,” she said, adding that the goal is to create a lasting culture of sustainability among local youth. “They’re the ones that are going to inherit this planet.”