Supporting inspirational learning about plants and their importance
Supporting inspirational learning about plants and their importance
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e-fronds,
Issue 2, August 2007
Welcome to e-fronds, the electronic successor to Botanic Garden
Education Network’s newsletter, 'Fronds'.
We hope that e-fronds will help to keep you up-to-date with the latest information
about new resources, training days, techniques, reviews and news from the site-based
and plant education field. If you have any news, views, ideas or comments you
would like to contribute to the next issue, or to the BGEN website, contact
us at fronds@bgen.org.uk
A back issue
of e-fronds can be viewed here:
Issue 1, May 2007
Are your green fingers
faded? Come to the Horticultural Training Day in the stunning
new glasshouse at RHS Wisley on Thursday 6th September to refresh your gardening
skills. The day will include a variety of practical horticultural ideas that
will ensure you are able to grow your way to success with plants.
More information is available on the flyer for
this event (Word doc/65KB)
Alternatively the booking form is here (Word
doc/65KB).
•
Wondering how to extend
your programmes beyond the boundaries of your site? If so ‘PLANTSCAFE’
could help provide some answers. This inquiry centred, multicultural project
offers free resources exploring 4 key themes including Conservation, Art, Food
and Experimenting with Plant Growth.
As part of its launch a series of free workshops are being
offered to BGEN members to introduce the activities including a specialist session
on the use of tools such as concept cartoons and 'evidence based research mysteries'.
PLANTSCAFE is being run on Tuesday 18th September (Sunderland
Museum and Winter Gardens), Thursday 20th September (University
of Bristol Botanic Gardens) and Wednesday 26th September 2007(Royal
Botanic Gardens Kew).
For more information, see www.plantscafe.net
To book, please download a booking form here (Word doc/284 KB)
•
Biodiversity
or Bust: BGEN’s Call to Conference…
When do early birds definitely get the worm? When they book on BGEN’s
annual conference! Book before the 1st of September and receive a special rate
to this fantastic event!
This year, BGEN’s Annual Conference will look at the way in which garden communicators can work effectively to deliver better biodiversity education and in particular how we can all deliver the education and public awareness target (14) of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (www.bgci.org/worldwide/gspc).
During the conference debate will explore diverse issues such as food security, health and wealth and the threat from rapid climate change. With inspirational speakers and workshops on a huge variety of topics including fair trade, native flora, gardening for biodiversity, alien weed species and environmental procurement, attendence is a must for all those involved in engaging people in biodiversity education.
Hosted at the gorgeous
National Botanic Garden of Wales, Wednesday 7th – Friday 9th November
2007.
More information and booking forms are
available here
•
Other training events
Plant Network conference – have a look at their website
for the latest conference and meeting information, www.plantnetwork.org.
The 2007 congress, Cryptogams, Ferns, Mosses and Lichens in Gardens, is being
held at Benmore Botanic Garden (part of RBG Edinburgh), 18th – 20th September.
•
Heritage Learning Consultant, Kate Measures is running a series of training events this autumn. These include ‘Sensational Seasons!’ (18th September) - fantastic activities for making the most of the seasons, ‘Garden Explorers’ (25th September) - how to create inspirational learning experiences for families and ‘Get Organised!’ (3rd October) - a workshop crammed with handy hints and practical strategies for managing your time more effectively. All workshops will run 10.00am—3.30pm. Delegate rate includes all workshop materials and light refreshments: Standard Rate £55, Discount Rate: £45 Students and volunteers, £35 Students and volunteers. All rates are excluding VAT. For more information, venues and to book your place contact Kate Measures on katemeasures@hotmail.co.uk or 0113 2582290 or 07966 298516
Members
questions and requests for help
The BGEN Survey – we need your figures!
As a committee we are seeking to develop and sustain BGEN for the future –
and key to this is increasing awareness of just how great BGEN (and its members
are) with potential members, partners, decision-makers and sponsors. To help
do this we are currently asking all members to provide us with figures for how
many school children visit their gardens. This will allow us to show just how
important the network already is.
Please complete the simple survey (which
can be downloaded here: (Excel 19KB)) and then send it to ben.oliver@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
•
The wonderful
world of widgits
A request from Judy Fox, Cambridge University Botanic Garden
‘Communicate in Print’ software uses symbols as a means of communicating
with people who have difficulty reading (see: http://www.widgit.com/).
Although it started within schools, it is beginning to become popular as a means
of enabling access, for example at the Eden Project (http://www.widgit.com/symbols/projects/eden/index.htm).
I am investigating its use in my programmes with special needs groups, pre-readers,
and people with English as a second language and on garden signage and I wondered
whether any other BGEN members use it as part of their education programmes?
I have spoken to the people at Widgit because there seem to be some omissions
in terms of symbols to communicate certain botanical things (such as oak) and
they may be prepared to create specific botanic garden symbols if enough of
us want to use it. Please have a look at their website and see what you think.
I would be interested in feedback from you so that I can take this information
to the Software designers and see what they can offer us. Please contact Judy
on 01223 331876 or jmf62@cam.ac.uk
if you’re interested!
Members’
News
Tree-mendous new play area opens at the National Arboretum, Westonbirt, News
from Ben Oliver
As part of our ongoing commitment to develop Westonbirt for families our new
Exploratree play area for toddlers has recently opened – much to my relief!
Taking the functioning tree as its inspiration, the area seeks to enable children
to explore the different parts that make up a tree – roots, trunk, branches,
leaves, flowers and seeds/fruit – creatively, actively and through their
imagination.
While enjoyment is at the heart of the project, we hope that the area will engage our youngest visitors with trees and encourage their own exploration of Westonbirt. Toddlers can crawl through a tree trunk, encounter over-sized worms, beetles and other woodland creatures as they climb, hide, make sculpture, build dens and enjoy some real adventure play.
The area is in response to a recent survey, which indicated that families with young children wanted play facilities provided close to the visitor hub. It is hoped that it will be quickly followed by other play opportunities for older children throughout the wider arboretum.
•
Chelsea goes green in Somerset, News from Michael Holland and
Louise Sayarer
Education staff of London's Chelsea Physic Garden attended and presented at
'The Big Green
Gathering' in the Mendip hills, Europe's largest environmental festival.
Attended by 20,000 people, this festival's overall theme was living the green
lifestyle, working with nature and minimising our footprint on the environment.
Eight workshops were held over four days on: Plants in our Lives (incorporating
the 'Shelf
Life' project), Natural Dyes, 'Ethnomedica' and medicinal plant uses, Making
recycled wildlife gardens, Myths and Folklore about botanical artefacts and
finally Compost Clinics. We spoke to about 80 people during the sessions (most
of which became discussions) and approximately 200 passers-by over the 5-day
event, and also gave out Chelsea Physic Garden leaflets and publications as
well as the flyer for the forthcoming BGEN
Annual Conference in Wales.
And the sun shone!
•
New tropical interpretation at The Palms Tropical Oasis News
from Valda Fillery
The Palms Tropical Oasis is developing new plant interpretation for visitors
following a successful application to "Visit Chester & Cheshire,"
the local Tourist Authority. Following their attendance at the BGEN AGM at Birmingham,
their new scheme will include developing backpacks, improvements to plant signage,
graphics for participation in 2007-8's European Zoo's Madagascar Campaign and
additional lighting in their "Jungle Floor" area for the Wildlife
Photographer of the Year Exhibition. 2nd Year Design/Media students from Chester
University are helping with the project as they have already produced attractive
and classy plant signs earlier this year and the format is going to be used
for all future plant interpretation.
•
BGEN members at 4th World Environmental Education Congress, Durban,
South Africa 2007 News from Sarah Kneebone
Members and supporters of BGEN, including Gordon MacLellan (aka Creeping Toad),
Costa Bonomi (Trento Botanic Garden), Sarah Kneebone (BGCI) and Asimina Vergou
(University of Bath and Wakehurst Place) attended the huge 4thWEEC, organised
by the Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEESA) last month.
Over 900 delegates from over 80 countries attended the fascinating conference,
examining 'Learning in a changing world', particularly with respect to education
for sustainable development. Congress photos and papers are now available to
download from the WEEC website (http://www.weec2007.com/)
and news reports and summaries are on the BGCI website at http://www.bgci.org/worldwide/latest/.
Resources
• BGEN Resource Directory is available from Ann Walford
(bgen@kew.org)
For only £10 plus £5.00 p&p
• Proceedings from the 6th International Congress on Education
in Botanic Gardens
Don’t miss out on the inspiration, ideas, resources and techniques discussed
at the education congress. Make sure you get your copy of the proceedings, complete
with full papers, posters and workshop write-ups available, for only £1.50,
(to cover the cost of p&p) order through BGCI website http://www.bgci.org/worldwide/request_pub/
or education@bgci.org
• The SAPS Plant Science Image Database (PSID) is now
available. The database contains images of plants split into various categories
including whole plants, parts of plants, cellular images of plants and plants
in their environment. The images give a visual description of plants and show
how the whole plant or their structures relate to function. For each image (or
video sequence) there is a short accompanying text to aid understanding. The
PSID images aim to provide support to the teaching of plant science in the curriculum,
particularly biological sciences in secondary schools, but some are suitable
for primary pupils. Older students may also find images in the database relevant
to their studies. Find PSID at http://www.plantscienceimages.org.uk
• A new FSC/SAPS publication in the popular foldout chart
series on Gardening in Primary Schools is available. The guide aims to help
primary school teachers set up and maintain a horticultural garden in which
children can grow flowers and vegetables. It also shows how the science being
taught in the classroom can be used in a practical way to create a successful
garden. Each chart is supplied with five packets of Mr Fothergill's seeds, to
help you start gardening right away! Throughout the guide links are made to
science investigations details of which will be on the SAPS website and in the
SAPS Book ‘Living processes and what plants need to grow’ (Booklet
3 in the Plants for Primary Pupils series, due to be published soon). Price
£3.50 plus p&p. For more information and to order online go to: http://www.field-studies-council.org/publications.
• Garden Explorers Resource Pack.
A brand new practical resource pack for anyone developing and delivering family
learning is now available. This step-by-step guide aims to help you create inspirational
learning experiences for families. Includes how to identify the possibilities
in your garden or park, finding out the needs of your audience, planning, deciding
on themes and tons of exciting activity ideas. £15 + p&p. Contact
Kate Measures on katemeasures@hotmail.co.uk
or 0113 2582290 for further information or to order your pack.
• Say it Again, Say it Differently is a London Museums Hub programme aimed
at creating good practice methodology for scripted communication as part of
a wider museum interpretation strategy. The downloadable report offers a ‘hands-on,
how-to’ approach to meeting the challenges and although focused on museums
its outcomes are applicable to Botanic Gardens. http://www.mlalondon.org.uk/uploads/documents/SayingitdifferentlyAW.pdf
Web sites
In case you haven’t already explored the Growing schools
web site is well worth discovering (http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools/).
The site will probably form the design template for the planned Learning Outside
the Classroom (LOtC) web site.
Things to do:
• Learn more about the LOtC manifesto and how its developing (see ‘Making
it happen’ section http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools/making-it-happen/)
• Check the details of your organisation are on the Growing Schools web
site (see ‘In your Region’ section http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools/region/)
• Find useful teaching ideas (see ‘Resources’ section http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools/resources/)
Apparently according to the Daily
Telegraph 30.8.07,
Beethoven can help crops grow more quickly
South Korean scientists, who played classical pieces including Beethoven's
Moonlight Sonata in rice fields, say they have identified plant genes that can
"hear".
For more on this, see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/30/scimusic130.xml
The End
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