LETTERS FROM LOCKERLY: Easter egg hunt

Published 4:28 pm Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Lockerly Arboretum hosted its Easter egg hunt on April 19, welcoming families from across the city and beyond to enjoy snacks, games and egg hunting throughout the expansive property.

“I think Easter egg hunts are a great way to bring communities together through a shared space. Lockerly is a wonderful space for the Milledgeville community to share, and an Easter egg hunt is a perfect event for our outdoor space,” said Kensey Amerson, director of

education, while discussing why events like an Easter egg hunt are important to a space such as Lockerly Arboretum.

The egg hunt featured several different games, including bag toss, balloon tennis, face painting, and egg hunts separated into different age groups.

“The kids loved the face painting and I saw so many little tigers everywhere! The egg hunt itself — the kids did such a good job waiting their turn for their age group to go and had so much fun hopping like bunnies to get eggs,” said Amerson.

Amerson explained, “Events that bring together different community partners I think help remind us here at Lockerly of that mission and give our staff a sense of accomplishment that we are achieving it.”

E.J. Grassmann, the founder of Lockerly Arboretum, dreamed that the property would be a gift to a community that he loved. Lockerly’s mission, in honor of that dream, is to inspire an understanding and appreciation of horticulture, nature, and heritage. By hosting many different community engagement events while being free of cost and open to the public, Lockerly staff exemplifies their founder’s dream for Milledgeville and surrounding communities.

Amerson’s main goal when planning the Easter egg hunt was, “to see people from all over Milledgeville, from a diversity of neighborhoods, coming together through a shared event and common interest.”

The Easter egg hunt was made possible by collaborations with community members from both the Milledgeville and Harrisburg areas, as well as every Lockerly staff member.

When it comes to feedback on events and programs from participants and collaborators, Amerson welcomes constructive criticism with open arms.

“Overall feedback has been extremely positive! All of the collaborators from the Harrisburg community felt like the event was a great success, as did we here at Lockerly. We are hoping to continue these partnerships and are considering making the egg hunt an annual event.”

Despite considering the egg hunt for Lockerly’s slate of annual events, Amerson is also full speed ahead on her upcoming projects, such as Lockerly’s Summer Camp, which features activities and events for all kids of elementary and early middle school ages.

“Small communities are important. I hope everyone involved realizes that being an active member of your community is always a rewarding experience that leads to a more fulfilled life,” Amerson said.

–This piece was written by Josh Galaif, a part-time education staffer at Lockerly Arboretum