Photo by Denise Ritchie

Orchid Island residents tapped into their inner child and answered the call to take a virtual adventure tour of the soon-to-be-opened Children’s Garden at McKee Botanical Garden.

Guests gathered at the home of Gerri and Bob Ripp, who co-hosted the reception with Nancy and Paul Knapp, Barbara and Dick Stockton, and Carolyn and Larry Timmerman. After enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, people settled in to learn more about the magical transformation taking place at McKee.

Leading that spirit of adventure was Marion de Vogel, a McKee board member and the great-granddaughter of the late Arthur G. McKee, who co-founded McKee Jungle Gardens in 1929 with Waldo Sexton.

“I grew up in the garden. My father ran it from the ’50s until it was sold in the ’70s,” said de Vogel, before sharing recollections of her own escapades there as a child and her excitement over the addition of the new Children’s Garden.

“Landscape architect Emmanuel Didier came up with this extraordinarily imaginative concept, which managed to put animation, amusement and entertainment together with knowledge and education,” said de Vogel.

She introduced Michael Hawkins, founder and managing partner of EBL Partners, the contractor hired for the job, so that he could “tickle the imagination and fancy” of guests “to better understand how extraordinary this children’s garden is going to be.”

Hawkins walked everyone through the construction process, from the clearing of the space through the construction of the canopy walk and discovery tree, a 97-ton concrete pirate ship known as the Scorpion, water features, enormous hand-carved mushrooms, a Fairy Garden and a sandbox where children will dig for doubloons left behind by pirates.

His presentation left guests with visions of fairies and pirates running amok in the garden, and left them to imagine the importance of a space where children will be able to discover and explore.

“We are about to unveil something that this community has never seen, and that doesn’t look like anything else anywhere in Florida,” said de Vogel.

She announced that McKee is close to its $5 million goal to fund the construction of the Children’s Garden and to establish an endowment of $2.5 million. To help them cross the finish line, an anonymous donor has offered a challenge grant of up to $200,000.

“Any dollar given by April 19 gets matched by this grant, and we will be there!” exclaimed de Vogel.

To contribute, contact Christine Hobart, McKee executive director or Ginny Blossom, director of philanthropy at 772-794-0601.