The Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival

FNGLA’s 2008 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Partnership Continues its Focus on Kids Gardening

In FNGLA’s 10th year of participation in the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, “Growing Future Gardeners” will remain the theme of the FNGLA’s Kid’s Gardening display. With extended dates for 2008, the festival will kick-off on March 19 and end June 1.  As FNGLA has traditionally done in year’s past, we are seeking FNGLA member and FNGLA Certified volunteers to “host” the garden and initiate conversations with display guests focused on gardening and outdoor living.  While both adults and children will be attracted to the garden, we are particularly interested in sparking the gardening interest with the younger generation to create--you guessed it—future gardeners!

Volunteers will be on hand Opening Day and then each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the duration of the festival hosting the display for 3 hour shift from either noon – 3:00 PM or from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Volunteers can earn 2 CEU’s applied to their FNGLA certification (if applicable) and are free to enjoy the rest of the day enjoying the festival and all Epcot has to offer its guests.

We will be accepting volunteers on a first-come, first-served basis—so don’t delay in coordinating your preferred time slots with your qualifying gardening friends!  CLICK HERE to access the volunteer form to sign up!  To check your volunteer status, contact Amy DiBella at adibella@fngla.org.

MORE ABOUT THE 2008 GARDEN

Taking place in the exact location as the 2007 garden, the 2008 garden will feature many returning elements such as the turf topped picnic table, the bamboo forest, fun and whimsical pizza, salsa, and vegetable containers, plus other kid-friendly and inspiring containers and areas.  New items include an expanded and more natural-looking play center which will incorporate more plants into the actual play space for the children and a new twist on certain containers and areas.  Garden hosts will no longer check in at the festival center—which proved to be sometimes hard for volunteers to locate.  We’ve moved check-in to the backstage location of Epcot Horticulture.

Well over 2 million guests are expected to visit Epcot during the festival’s again extended 10 1/2-week duration which now includes the official start of spring, Easter weekend, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. While many guests come specifically to experience the International Flower & Garden Festival, others are general consumers visiting the park who happen on the event. FNGLA aims to inspire both types of people with a fun, creative and enjoyable garden space so they’ll return home and make an investment in plants in both their outdoor living spaces and within the walls of their homes.

FNGLA is thrilled to partner with Epcot highlighting plants as an everyday enjoyment and a family-centered activity. More details on the FNGLA partnership at Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival can be found under the News & Programs heading as a public relations program at www.fngla.org.

All FNGLA members and certified professionals are invited to host the display for one volunteer session. Sessions are available each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from April 3 to June 1, 2008 for one of two daily sessions: noon to 3 PM or 3 PM – 6PM. Contact FNGLA for shift availability or CLICK HERE to access the volunteer form.

A Complete packet outlining attire, responsibilities and volunteer responsibilities and benefits is available on this page and will be sent to all garden hosts prior to their volunteer date.

This partnership is designed to spark consumer interest in gardening. With more than 2 million consumers projected to venture through Epcot during the ten-week festival, FNGLA’s involvement lays a foundation for guests to create an emotional connection to plants whether it be through the actual plants themselves or through any of the variety of activities taking place within the FNGLA area. FNGLA’s involvement with the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is just one activity of many FNGLA participates in promoting Florida-grown plant items and one that reaches more consumers directly than any other FNGLA-run program.

For more details on FNGLA’s Public Relations efforts contact:

Jennifer Nelis, Director of Membership & Public Relations
Phone: 407.295.7994 or
E-mail: jnelis@fngla.org

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