Lonoke County 4-H, Master Gardeners team up to host Green Thumb Camp
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Aug. 4, 2025
Fast Facts:
- Camp held July 30 at Lonoke County Extension Office
- Participants were 4-H members ages 6-11
- Lonoke County Master Gardeners, extension staff led craft making, educational activities
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(Newsrooms: With art)
LONOKE, Ark. — When deciding on a theme for Lonoke County Extension’s last 4-H day camp of the summer, Kristi Warren turned to the Master Gardeners to share their plant knowledge and passion for horticulture.
“I thought, ‘Let’s contact our Master Gardeners and see what they can help us with,’” said Warren, Lonoke County extension 4-H agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “We had a meeting of the minds, where we all came up with ideas and picked from those.”
Lonoke County Master Gardeners and extension staff kicked off Green Thumb Camp with a nature scavenger hunt. The event was held July 30 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Lonoke County Extension Office.
Lonoke County Extension also offered two crafting camps and one “Christmas in July” camp earlier this summer. Green Thumb Camp marked the first time Lonoke County 4-H collaborated with the Lonoke County Master Gardeners for one of the organization’s day camps.
“This is the first time we’ve done a summer camp with them, but we always work together on the fair, and they meet in our office, so we see them all the time,” Warren said. “We just thought it would be a great idea to combine this and get them involved.”
Warren said the summer day camps also provided opportunities for participants to make craft projects that they can enter in the county fair later this fall.
“When we did our craft camps, they left with six crafts that they can enter at the fair, and I gave them a sheet with everything they need to know about how to do that,” Warren said. “We’re trying to build up the fair entries as well.”
Master Gardeners Jean Fortenberry, Stacy Harrell and Terry Dunlap, along with extension staff, led 19 young 4-H members through a series of educational activities designed to teach them about plants.
“We’re going to talk about plants and the importance of plants,” Fortenberry told the 4-H members. “What do plants do?”
“They grow and make us healthy food,” one camper said.
“They give us air,” said another.
“What do they need to live?” Fortenberry asked the group.
“Water, sun, and pollination,” one responded.
Participants made garden stake “flowers” from buttons and hair barrettes, decorated flowerpots and made bird feeders using ice cream cones, sunflower seed butter and bird seed. They also made leaf rubbing art by tracing crayons over a piece of paper placed on top of a leaf, using leaves brought by Master Gardeners and extension staff from their own homes and gardens.
Austyn Ashlock, 7, said her favorite activity was making the garden stake flowers and that when she grows up, she may plant a garden of her own.
“My mom has a flower bed in our front yard,” she said. “She grows roses and tulips and other types of flowers. When she waters them, she always sprays me.”
“I tried to do the giant watermelon and pumpkin contest, but they didn’t grow,” said Sophia Tidwell, 6. “I’ve always wanted to grow my own rose, too. And sunflowers.”
Devyn Britt, Lonoke County extension family and consumer sciences agent, said the camp was a great opportunity to cultivate the participants’ natural curiosity about the world around them.
“We wanted to give these kids a chance to connect with the nature we’re surrounded by here in Lonoke County,” Britt said. “By showing them that gardening can be hands-on, fun and messy, we’re hoping to plant a seed that keeps them engaged with this for the rest of their lives.”
Horticulture education for all ages
Master Gardeners led participants through an activity where they matched different seeds with their corresponding vegetables, and the campers’ skills impressed Fortenberry.
“They are really smart about this,” Fortenberry said. “We had some that picked out every seed for every vegetable. They were thrilled when we told them that they guessed right.”
Fortenberry has been a Lonoke County Master Gardener for nine years, and she currently serves as the county’s club president.
“I really enjoy the community service and the camaraderie with all of our Master Gardeners,” Fortenberry said. “Sometimes we help with the summer reading program at the Cabot Public Library, so we always have something plant-oriented. I started some raised vegetable beds there because I wanted kids to know, in Cabot especially, where their food comes from.”
Fortenberry said her passion for education makes her a good fit for the Master Gardener program — both leading it and receiving it.
“I think if I learn something new, it’s a good day,” she said. “Or if I can teach somebody else something new, it’s a good day, and these kids here love to learn.”
For more information about Arkansas 4-H, visit 4h.uada.edu. To learn more about the Master Gardener program and how to become a member, visit the Arkansas Master Gardener Program page on the Cooperative Extension Service website.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
@RKHall_
501-671-2061