by Yasmin Adib

We had just moved to Pennsylvania from New York City in the summer of 2002 when a picture of Morris Arboretum's railway exhibit caught my eye. I was looking through local papers for places to visit with my family, and the Morris Arboretum became our first choice for a weekend outing. We found the garden enchanting. My daughter Nadia, five years old at the time, loved the trains, the water pump in front of the cottage, the swans, and she especially enjoyed "acting" with Mother Nature in an outdoor children's theater production about protecting the environment. We were hooked.

Though actually, I had been hooked prior to setting foot on the premises. . .when searching the website for directions, I had noticed a listing for Al-Bustan Camp, an Arabic language and Cultural Day Camp for children six to twelve years of age that had just ended its three-week program at the Arboretum. As an Arab-American, I couldn't imagine a richer summer experience for my child. I had always wanted Nadia to learn Arabic in a fun way along with other children. This sounded too good to be true.

Nadia, on the other hand, was resistant. Shy to begin with, she was entering a stage not uncommon among children of minority ethnic backgrounds: she wanted to blend in with mainstream American culture and refused to speak her native language. Now, in her new suburban environment, she was conscious of being the only Arab-American kid around.

So, the next summer, we decided simply to attend the end-of-camp performance. The event brought tears to my eyes. Children of various ethnicities and races were speaking Arabic, performing a dramatization of one of my favorite folktales, singing songs, dancing a traditional Lebanese folk dance, and playing the tabla hand drum. The artwork displayed was at such a sophisticated level, from set design, to mosaic tiles, to henna prints. There was even a children's model of the varied eco-systems typically found in the Arab region, and a reinterpreted portrait of the folktale narrator, Shehrazade. A poster of photos from the camp's nearby community garden colorfully displayed images of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables native to the Arab world along with their names in Arabic and English. The breadth of the children's investigations over those 3 weeks, as well as the diversity of the campers, pleasantly surprised me and now "hooked" my daughter as well.

And so this past summer of 2004, Nadia became an enthusiastic camper. It was her first camp experience, and the first morning's "butterflies" flew away immediately. She had the time of her life and wished the camp could go on all summer long. She thrived on the fun, but also the academically-enriching program. The teachers are all very accomplished in their respective fields. She learned a great deal about nature and about her cultural heritage. Last year's camp focus on the olive tree and on the 14th century traveler Ibn Battuta fascinated her. The end-of-camp performance was now her opportunity to sing, dance, drum, act and display her own artwork.

The Arboretum has provided a perfect setting for children to explore nature and culture; and its collection of plants and trees from around the world -- including two large cedar trees from Lebanon and the Moroccan Blue Atlas mountains -- add much to a visitor's cross-cultural experience. Thank you, Morris Arboretum, for hosting and co-sponsoring Al-Bustan Camp. After so many repeat visits, we became members last summer and my husband has benefited greatly from attending your gardening classes. We look forward to another fun July for our daughter surrounded by art, music, dance, storytelling, and a nurturing community in the beautiful serenity of your garden.

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