JC Raulston Arboretum plans online camps for kids

JC Raulston Arboretum's summer camps are going virtual this year. The arboretum, which is part of N.C. State University, offers up very popular camps for kids each summer. This summer's camps sold out way back in February, but they were canceled when NC State canceled all in-person activities this summer.

"We were disappointed, but it sparked our creativity," Elizabeth Overcash, the arboretum's children's program coordinator, told me. Overcash and a longtime camp teacher have developed three online camps that are adapted from its regular camps in the gardens.

Here's what's scheduled:

• Nature Detectives at Home, rising 1st-3rd graders, June 22-26, 2020
• Artists in (Your) Garden, rising 1st-5th graders, July 13-17, 2020
• Garden Chefs at Home, rising 4th-6th graders, July 27-31, 2020

Each day, campers will have two to three hours of self-guided at-home activities and a virtual face to face time with the camp teacher and myself, Overcash tells me. Registration includes a camp bucket filled with materials needed for the activities. More information is on the arboretum's website.