In July 2026, the Bauru Municipal Botanical Garden held the traditional Vacation Course, named “My Vacation at the Botanical Garden”. Developed since 2012, the program offers two annual editions, in January and July, for children aged 8 to 10. Through playful and educational activities, it aims to introduce children to Botany, natural sciences, and plant conservation, fostering curiosity, scientific thinking, and a closer connection with nature.

This edition brought together 20 children under the theme “How to Become a Young Botanist.” The program introduced participants to the role of botanical gardens, the work of botanists, and the importance of botanical research and plant conservation through games, workshops, guided trails, and inquiry-based activities.
On the first day, participants explored the Botanical Garden’s Plant Collections—including the Sensory Medicinal Garden, Fern Collection, Orchid Collection, and Ethnobotanical Collection—through educational games focusing on accessibility, medicinal plants, fern reproduction, pollination, and the use of plants in Indigenous cultures. The day’s activities concluded with a visit to the observation deck, offering a view of the forest protected by the Botanical Garden.

The second day featured the Ecological Trail Game, held along approximately one kilometer in the Garden’s main trail. Designed as an outdoor board game, the activity challenged teams to solve Botany-related tasks and answer questions about local fauna, flora, and the Botanical Garden itself, while encouraging cooperation, observation and environmental interpretation.
On the third day, the workshop “How to Become a Young Botanist?” introduced the history of botanical gardens and guided participants through four themed learning stations: algae microscopy; observation of plants using hand lenses; experiments with plant pigments and fluorescence; and activities related to the campaign “Together Against the Illegal Plant Trade.” After successfully completing the challenges recorded in the Young Botanist’s Guide, participants were awarded the title of Young Botanist, received a commemorative badge, and took the Young Botanist’s Oath.

The course concluded with a Treasure Hunt inspired by the story of the German naturalist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. During the activity, the children solved puzzles and completed challenges based on the concepts learned throughout the course in order to symbolically recover the naturalist’s field notebook, which had supposedly been lost during a storm.

The Vacation Course successfully achieved its objectives by providing meaningful experiences that brought children closer to science, Botany, and plant conservation. Beyond acquiring knowledge, participants developed skills such as observation, inquiry, creativity, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork, reinforcing the Bauru Municipal Botanical Garden’s role as a leading institution in environmental education and science communication.