LANSING, Mich. — The MSU Horticulture Gardens are a beautiful place to visit, and part of what keeps them going each year is a team of dedicated volunteers like this week's Good Neighbor Bill Price.
Price says the first time he had to get up in front of a visiting classroom he was a nervous wreck.
“When I retired and got dragged into the classroom it was not my cup of tea. The first time I stood up in front of the class I was shaking like a leaf," he said.
Price says a lot has changed in the last 27 years since he started as a docent volunteer at the MSU Horticulture Gardens.
Almost daily, Price teaches a class, gives tours or introduces kids to the wonders of nature, like butterflies in the MSU Butterfly Garden.
But the one thing he says that has stayed constant is his commitment to making a difference, especially in the lives of kids.
“I Just love working with the students, the children. We do butterflies in spring, and when I see first and second graders come in and catch a butterfly on their finger, that’s special! You see the look of joy and excitement on their face, and it makes it all worth it,” Price said.
Jessica Wright is the educational coordinator at the MSU Horticulture Gardens. She says Price contributes a significant amount of work to the gardens and is a treasure.
“He does so great with kids because he is a big kid. That’s why they all love Mr. Bill,” Wright said.
Most weeks, Price works with groups of elementary and middle school children. He shares with them facts on trees or teaches one of his favorite courses called The Seeds of Science.
The kids plant six different types of lettuce, and then, throughout the course, measure its growth, color, etc.
Price says the course is popular with the kids.
“Then, at the end of the course, they taste the lettuce and evaluate it based on its appearance. Then, they decide which is the best type of lettuce to grow for their school lunches,” he said.
Price says, before the pandemic, he donated about 4,000 hours a year in the gardens, but now, it’s a little less.
Wright says more than 14,000 children visit the gardens each year. Price is one of about two dozen volunteers who help make the gardens a success for the visitors.
“It’s so amazing to me as someone that is working full time to know of someone who wants to spend their life giving back and basically spending many hours a week doing what I get paid to do," Wright said. "It’s so amazing that these people give of their time.”
And Price doesn't plan on quitting anytime soon.
“Jessica says she is going to pick me up and bring me to the gardens," Price said.
“When he can’t drive, I’m just going to pick him up every day and bring him here," Wright said.
We want to thank all the volunteers that help make the MSU Horticultural Gardens a success, especially Bill Price, who is this week’s Good Neighbor.
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