Do you have what it takes to be featured on the cover of The Garden Dirt?

We are looking for photos for the cover of our member newsletter throughout 2010! We'll choose six  photographs for the cover of The Garden Dirt and an article about the image and why The Gardens is important to the photographer. Each winner will receive also a free membership to The Gardens for one year and have their photo seen by 10,000 people.

Requirements

Remember that this is a cover contest, not a photo contest. You must follow these rules when capturing your photograph.

• Your photo MUST feature people using The Gardens. We will not consider any other photograph;
• Photos must be at least 1600 X 1200 pixels at 300 dpi;
• Images must be portrait (vertical) orientation. Horizontal photos cannot be considered;
• There can't be any critical content in the top 1/3 of the image (see image to the right);
• Photos must be submitted by the deadlines in the editorial calendar below.

The Garden Dirt is published every other month, so you've got several shots at winning! Give it your best shot (sorry, we couldn't resist the easy pun)!

Tentative Editorial Calendar*
Publication Date	Photo Submission Deadline	Editiorial Deadline
January/February	November 2	November 16
March/April	January 4	January 15
May/June	March 1	March 15
July/August	May 3	May 17
September/October	July 1	July 15
November/December	September 1	September 15

*deadlines subject to change

Please submit your photos to Andrew Krebbs at akrebbs@bbgardens.org. Give us a call at 205.414.3950 if you've got any questions!

Here are some more examples of past covers:

Volunteer Opportunities at The Gardens!

When you volunteer at The Gardens, you are both giving something back to our community and helping us to fulfill our mission. Our mission to promote public knowledge and appreciation of plants, gardens, and the environment depends upon a diverse team to act as stewards of this great resource called Birmingham Botanical Gardens. A quality volunteer base is a collection of people from every background, race, religion, socioeconomic status, and age. We rely on countless hours of dedication from local gardeners, retirees, educators, business leaders, young people, and philanthropists who volunteer their time and expertise to maintain our gardens, grow giving, and enhance lives with plants.

Thousands of area school children count on our ability to provide science-based learning experiences through progroms such as Discovery Field Trips, Children's Summer Workshops, and HollyDay Magic; these educational journeys are all made successful with the help of our docents, committees, and other volunteers. In 2008, well over 200 volunteers gave more than 7,000 hours of their time in support of education programs alone (not to mention events, office support, and those who work in the gardens themselves).

From student to baby-boomer, gardening pro to marketing whiz, we have an opportunity to get involved and make a difference for everyone. If you want to help but you're not sure what you would like to do, give us a call (205.414.3950)! We're more than happen to sit down and talk to you about your life story and what you bring to the table.

Watch a video tribute to our fantastic 2009 Spring Plant Sale volunteers!

Below are some of the current opportunities, but rest assured, there are plenty more!

Cocktails in the Gardens

• Thursday, October 8 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.;
• Volunteers may work two-hour shifts from 5-7 p.m. or 7-9 p.m.;
• Volunteer positions include: cashiers, checking ID, counting attendees, drink sales;
• Each volunteer receives free admission plus one free ticket for a guest;
• Contact Carolyn Snow at 414-3962 or csnow@bbgardens.org.

Fall Plant Sale

• Saturday, October 17 from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. & Sunday, October 18 from 12:00-4:00 p.m.;
• Set-up is Friday, October 16 from 12:00-5:00 p.m.;
• Teen volunteers needed to load customers’ cars and work in hospitality;
• Volunteers may work two or more hour shift(s), depending on day and time;
• Adult volunteer positions available include cashiers, totalizers, counters, hospitality, membership, box builders, floaters, and line monitors;
• Contact Carolyn Snow at 414-3962 or csnow@bbgardens.org.

HollyDay Magic

• Thursday, December 3 and Friday, December 4 from 3:30-5:30 p.m.;
• 24 adult volunteers for planning committee;
• 60 volunteers needed to assist children with holiday crafts and projects;
• Contact Phyllis Sutton at 414-3958 or psutton@bbgardens.org.

Horticultural Therapy

• Volunteers needed to assist with horticultural therapy sessions;
• Volunteers needed for maintenance of beds, containers, and greenhouse.
• Contact Susan Grimes at sgrimes@bbgardens.org.

The Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens

• Library assistants needed to help with daily activities;
  
• Various time slots are open each day;
  
• Contact Hope Long at 414-3931 or hlong@bbgardens.org.

Already Halfway Through Summer!

It's hard to believe summer is already halfway gone! The Gardens are absolutely stunning right now, so if you can stand the heat, bring a water bottle, or even a picnic basket, and give yourself a tour and check out what's new! (And if you can't stand the heat, I recommend stopping for a delicious and affordable lunch in The Gardens Cafe by Kathy G. Or peruse through Leaf & Petal at The Gardens' ever-changing assortment of knick knacks, gifts, and plants.)




While Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens doesn't have a lot of events going on during the summer, there are other reasons to come by or get involved. The Southern Institute of Photography has one remaining workshop this summer; Wedding and Bridal Photography is a special weekend class Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19.

Currently, Children's Summer Workshops are still going on after a brief recess for Independence Day last week. Our Children's Summer Workshops are a great way to continue your child's education during the summer months in a fun, new & exciting way. (Not to mention keeping them active and off the couch!)

We are offering a 20% Frequent Camper Discount to any children who have previously attended a workshop. Give us a call and mention that your child has been to one of our camps (or if your child is registered for an upcoming workshop, the discount applies to any other camps you register for). You will need to call Ellen Hardy at 414.3953 to register as a Frequent Camper.

Below is a list of remaining Children's Summer Workshops

Summer Garden Chefs (5K-2nd grade)
July 13-17

We’ll harvest summer vegetables from the Bruno Vegetable Garden, fragrant herbs from the Herb Terrace, mix up tasty cuisine each day using fresh ingredients we’ve harvested, paint an apron, and plant your very own kitchen garden to take home! Afternoon Session.

Summer Garden Chefs (3rd-5th grade)
July 13-17
We’ll harvest summer vegetables from the Bruno Vegetable Garden, fragrant herbs from the Herb Terrace, mix up tasty cuisine each day using fresh ingredients we’ve harvested, paint an apron, and plant your very own kitchen garden to take home! Morning Session. Afternoon Session.

Digging, Planting, Wiggling, Exploring (5K-2nd grade)
July 20-24
We’ll explore a different Garden every day, make nature treasures, and keep our eyes open as we look up close at some of the most amazing plants in The Gardens along with discovering many creatures such as birds, frogs, fish, and insects. Morning Session. Afternoon Session.

Painting, Pounding, Picking, Pressing (5K-2nd grade)
July 20-24
Come along for a summer adventure filled with splashes of color, pounding of leaves and petals, picking and pressing of plant materials, and more! Join the fun while making discoveries about our Gardens. Morning Session. Afternoon Session.

Art and Yoga Camp: Stretch Your Creativity (5K-2nd grade)
July 27-31
Facilitated by artist Hilary Moreno and yoga instructor, Susanna Whitsett, this combination camp will allow children to explore color, texture, shape, movement, sound, and silence. In addition, children’s literature, walks through The Gardens, and take-home projects will inform the daily themes. Morning Session.

Paint your Impressions of Nature (3rd-5th grade)
July 27-31
Explore the Gardens; discover the beauty that has inspired artists for centuries! Learn to paint in the style of Monet and other Impressionists while creating a style of your own. Mix colorful paints to create beautiful works of art. A special addition will be photography out in The Gardens and designing your own note cards. Morning Session. Afternoon Session.

Discovery Field Trips Bring Science to Life for Thousands of School Kids

The 2008-2009 school year was one of the most succesful for Discovery Field Trips in the history of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, continuing the record-setting trends for the year. Last year more than 10,000 school children visited The Gardens on nearly 450 field trips.

Discovery Field Trips, one of the programs at the heart of our education mission, are free to participants thanks to support for transportation from the Junior League of Birmingham and Vulcan Materials Corporation. Birmingham City Schools increased 9% over last year and Bessemer City Schools increased 36%, accounting for a great deal of the success.

We also owe our most sincere thanks to the wonderful volunteers for a successful year. These talented volunteers work as a team to welcome students and teachers; they guide them on educational journeys that bring the kids' classroom studies to life. All six award-winning Discovery Field Trips are science-based programs that correlate with the Alabama State Course of Study and are aligned with the National Science Education Standards.