Brockport Research Institute is proud to partner with the Onslow County Master Gardener Volunteers of Onslow County, North Carolina as they work to support the Discovery Gardens. The Discovery Gardens is an educational garden space that provides visitors of all ages with the opportunity to learn, recreate, and interact with nature in the garden.  These gardens encompass a 4-acre tract of land adjacent to the Onslow County, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Office and Farmers Market.  The gardens will include: a visitor’s center, ornamental pond, classic southern garden, picnic lawn, children’s farm garden, raised bed vegetable garden, shade gardens, pollinator garden, wildlife garden and more. The gardens are intended to be a place where the community can come together to learn about appropriate plant choices and care, celebrate the bond between people and plants, provide gardening experiences for all ages and abilities, and inspire the creation of sustainable ornamental and edible gardens .  In 2014 Brockport Research Institute assisted the Master Gardeners as they applied for a grant from The Lovett Foundation. The Foundation subsequently granted the Master Gardeners  $3,200 to purchase high-quality benches for the Garden's outdoor learning stations. These benches now provide safe, comfortable, and accessible seating for the students who participate in the Growing Minds programming: the program has served over 250 students per year since 2008, and evaluations that are collected after every class indicate strong support by the teachers regarding the quality of instruction that we offer.   The comfort that the benches provide has also served to make the Discovery Gardens more accessible to the many additional visitors who frequent the garden, including families, young children, veterans, and senior citizens. Brockport Research Institute proudly continues to aid the Onslow County Master Gardeners as they seek funding to expand and improve the Discovery Gardens.