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e-fronds, Issue 3, November 2007 - Bumper edition, Conference Special
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

1. Conference proceedings

Conference Report
Biodiversity or Bust was a very successful conference, with an overwhelmingly positive response from participants. With 63 delegates representing 24 organisations attending 9 different workshops and 6 excellent plenary presentations, there was something for everyone! National Botanic gardens of Wales provided a stunning backdrop and our thanks got to Trevor Roach, Kevin Lamb and the whole team at NBG for the excellent organisation and smooth running. Many thanks also to the BGEN training sub-committee for doing such an excellent job in designing and organising the conference and Ann Walford and Christine Newton for all their work behind and in front of the scenes.
See the full conference report by Chris Reynolds (word doc/29Kb), curator of Bedgebury Pinetum for more information.

Additionally, Photographs of the Conference (including a groupo shot) can be seen on a Flickr web page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/bgen2007/

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Keynote presentations
The keynote speakers addressed the development and five objectives of the Global Strategy for Plant conservation, providing an excellent overview of where the Strategy came from, the current situation in the UK, the challenge we face in its implementation and action to take it forward to 2010 and beyond. Click on each title to link to the summary. Many thanks to all those who wrote up the sessions - click on the links to view the PDFs

An overview of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation - (write-up to follow)
Peter Wyse Jackson, National Botanic Garden of Ireland, Glasnevin

Objective 1 of GSPC – Understanding and Documenting Plant Diversity (PDF/121Kb)
Trevor Dines, Plantlife

Objective 2 of GSPC – Facilitating harmony, identifying gaps and promoting mobilisation of resources for plant conservation (PDF/127Kb)
Chris Cheffings, Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

Objective 3 of GSPC – the ecosystem approach to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (PDF/112Kb)
Monique Simmonds, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Objective 4 – Piloting targets, developing and implementing the thematic programmes of work of the Convention (PDF/122Kb)
Jayne Manley, Plantlife.

Objective 5 – Building capacity for plant conservation. How are we doing? (PDF/138Kb)
Deborah Long, Plantlife.

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Workshop outcomes
The workshop programme complemented the keynote presentations, by introducing delegates to activities and practical ideas to use for implementation of the GSPC within their own programmes. A summary and outcomes from each workshop (where appropriate) will soon be available by clicking on the titles below.

Food Security (PDF/131Kb)
Bill Graham FACE (Farming and Countryside Education)

Organic Gardening (PDF/110Kb)
Sally Smith, Garden Organic

Climate Change (PDF/93Kb)
Chloe Ward, Centre for Alternative Technology

Implementing the GSPC through Education(PDF/145 Kb)
The following two files also relate to this workshop:
Results from the GSPC workshop (PDF/136 Kb)
Target 14 International Review leaflet (PDF/250Kb)
Julia Willison, Sarah Kneebone, BGCI (Botanic Gardens Conservation International)

Creative Conservation (PDF/446Kb)
Richard Scott, National Wildflower Centre

Building Sustainability into an organisation
Chris Hines, consultant (ex-director of sustainability, Eden Project)

Sustainable Procurement (PDF/1157Kb)
Pat Hudson, Eden Project

Native Flora
Ray Woods, Plantlife International

Invasive Species
Jayne Manley, Deborah Long and Trevor Dines, Plantlife International

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BGEN Member’s news – as presented at the conference

1. Science and Plants at School (SAPS)
Anne Bebbington
The SAPS Plant Science Image Data base (PSID) comprises a selection of images each with an explanatory text. This new resource for teachers mainly for secondary sector is available on the web. The new joint SAPS/Field Studies Council publication ‘Gardening for Primary Schools’ shows how gardening can provide an excellent opportunity for children to do some practical science and appreciate the importance of biodiversity and sustainability.

2. Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, ‘Expedition China!’ May 2008
Cath Evans
We are developing a new schools programme which highlights growing worldwide concern about biodiversity and conservation in a context which encourages young people to bridge Chinese language and culture to learn more about these issues in the global environment.

The programme directly relates to GSPC Targets and looks at issues such as sustainable use of plants in herbal medicine whilst building pupils skills in a challenging exploration of our Chinese collection.

3. Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Pea Pods – Plants for Under-5s
Emily Wood
RBGE ran a very successful under-5s programme this summer. We ran five, 2-hour sessions, alternating between the themes of Beans and Flowers. Children came with an adult and started all together with a song and story to introduce the theme. They then had an hour to move around a series of activities at their own pace before having a snack and then coming together for a final story.

4. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, The Role of Gardening in Education for Biodiversity
Emily Wood
My MSc dissertation looked at bringing together research on the benefits of gardening and of learning about biodiversity and ecological systems. I worked with a community gardening project to see what participants had learned through gardening, and what aspects might support this. They included sustainable gardening practices, learning opportunities through role models, direct experience and group discussion; and synergic benefits such as health and enjoyment. For more details please email Emily (e.wood@rbge.ac.uk).

5. Chelsea Physic Garden
Michael Holland
To celebrate the life of Linnaeus, a new version of ‘Happy Families’ has been produced based on plant families instead of human families. Retailing at around £7 packs of cards will be available (for your shops and classrooms) in the New Year. Details of how to obtain copies for your classrooms and/or shops will be available shortly.

6. Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses
Deborah Knott
The Growing Schools Garden designed by award winning TV gardener Chris Beardshaw, will open in the spring of 2008 in its new and permanent home at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The aim of the garden is to show how learning can take place outside the classroom within the school grounds. It will offer visitors inspiration for their own school grounds and a a realistic vision of what it possible on a limited budget.

Thanks to NESTA funding, the Gardens have been able to transform the Cottage into a new exciting and stimulating resource for all visitors. Interactive screens will enable both adults and children to interact with the Green Man character, who will issue quests relevant to the visitor and respond to their answers once they have explored the garden. Schools will also have the opportunity to interact with the Green Man through a Young Botanics website.

7. Plant Scientists Investigate - PLANTSCAFE
Michaela Kitsche
'Plant scientists investigate' is a joint EU project with partners in Innsbruck (Austria), Sofia (Bulgaria), Trento (Italy), RBG, Kew and the Institute of Education (UK). Five project partners have worked together to develop primary school resources that will enhance plant science education and encourage skills such as critical thinking. Over 40 activities have been produced to encourage children to 'work like scientists' and to explore the nature of science, using a range of best practice methodologies e.g. concept cartoons and evidence based research mysteries.

These teaching resources explore four topics: understanding the basic necessities of life - oxygen and food (Experimenting with Plant Growth), our diet and health including environmental and sustainable development (Food), plants as an inspiration (Art) and understanding the danger of plant extinction and the need for active preservation (Conservation). Many of the activities are meant to be completed in school; others need to be carried out in a botanic garden with the support of education staff.

These new teachers' and botanic garden educators' resource will be available free online and will be launched in December 2007. Please visit www.plantscafe.net .

BGEN training workshop - Back to Basics
Ever wondered about just how to set up an education programme? Looking for ways to attract new schools – then the back to Basics course is for you!

This session will introduce participants to the basics of running a schools education programme
• Creating a programme from scratch
• Ideas for primary school programmes
• Ideas for secondary school programmes
• Marketing your education programme

This training day will be run at three venues on the following dates:
• February 26th - Hyde Hall
• March 4th - Bristol Botanic Garden
• April 10th - Glasgow Botanic Garden

The BGEN Annual General Meeting is in April; more information, including the date and venue are to follow

BGCI’s 7th International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens
Being held in Durban Botanical Garden in November 2009. The title of the conference is ‘Action learning: places, spaces and partnerships for biodiversity and human well-being.’ There are four conference themes:
• Achieving the GSPC and MDGs through education
• Ways of learning towards environmental justice
• Climate change and botanic gardens: interpretation for action
• The Decade of ESD: plants, sustainability, education & culture
More information to come – make sure you include it in your budgets for 2009!

RBG Kew / BGCI International Diploma on Botanic Garden Education
This five week course, covers everything needed to develop education strategies for a site. The next session is running 15th September – 17th October 2008 at Kew. The organisers have put a call for applications – more information and application forms on the BGCI and Kew websites www.bgci.org/education/diploma_course_outline/. Please circulate to any colleagues who might be interested in attending

Growing Schools
BGEN has been awarded funding to enhance and develop the network element of Growing Schools. This DCSF funded initiative is hoping to grow over the next few months and will showcase the range of partnerships and activities that schools can get involved in by working with the support of horticultural, agricultural, biodiversity and wildlife organisations. This should encourage better engagement with nature and provide a range of opportunities for fulfilling the aims of the LotC Manifesto.

BGEN has been funded to employ a casual new member of staff (Michaela Kitschke), whose work with BGEN will include:
• An audit of BGEN ‘growing school’ activities and writing up of BGEN and other relevant organisation information / events for the Growing Schools website
• Co-ordination and support for the implementation of 4 regional ‘Growing School’ taster sessions for teachers (a showcase of organisations and activities that offer ‘Growing school’ type educational resources or programmes )
• Supporting the Growing Schools conference (April 7th 2008 in Birmingham Botanic Garden) where the re-sited ‘Growing Schools garden’ will be launched

We are currently looking for a BGEN venue in England in either March or February 2008, who would like to run one of the regional ‘taster sessions’ . We have offers for the South and East sessions and are looking for a North and West one!! We will finance the session for the venue, paying for invites, logistics, food and drink , marketing etc – and it will be a great opportunity to get your site ‘on the map’. It must be able to host a number of stands under cover – and about 200 teachers visiting. Please contact either Mischa (M.Kitschke@kew.org) or Gail G.Bromley@kew.org.

Update on Learning Outside The Classroom (LOTC) Manifesto
Currently work is being carried out on the development of a quality assurance badging system that the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) wants as part of the LOTC manifesto. There are two organisations looking at how this system might work – FSC and Price Waterhouse Cooper. The aim is that the system will assess both H&S and the quality of provision, possibly through a three-tier system of self-assessment, peer-assessment (which BGEN would be part of) and external-assessment.

Several BGEN member sites have undergone a pilot scheme run by the FSC – contact Ben Oliver for further details. For further details visit the LOTC web site:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/resourcematerials/outsideclassroom/newsletters/manifestoupdate/

Update on Breathing Places
The ‘Breathing Places’ campaign is a 3-4 year campaign on raising awareness of biodiversity in public places and is the result of a collaboration between the BBC and the Biodiversity Group within DEFRA. There are three strands – one of which is working with schools and families looking at enhancing the land around schools.

The first thing that is going to come out with the launch in December is a questionnaire – a school survey to determine how grounds are currently used, what the wildlife opportunities are. When this is completed, the school receives a certificate. The baseline data will establish how biodiversity-friendly the school currently is. A series of ‘building blocks’ linked with simple practical activities will build on this to create ‘greener’ school sites. The building blocks are themed, by school term:
• Winter 07- survey
• Spring 08 – plants
• Summer 08 – minibeasts
• Winter 08 – feeding animals
• Spring 09 – animal homes
• Summer 09 – butterflies and moths
• Winter 09 – trees
• Spring 10 – survey repeated

BGEN members could help provide a network of supporting organisations, the BBC website is hosting links to organisations where participants can learn more. For further information see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/

Roots 4:2 Time to make waves for water conservation – Out now
The relationship between plants and water is intimate and complex. Healthy and diverse plant cover is essential in maintaining viable watersheds, streams and lakes. Yet the destruction of wetlands and forests is an all too familiar story and a major cause of increased flooding and lack of fresh water. Global climate change is likely to amplify the range and impact of both flooding and drought. Botanic gardens are ideally placed to raise awareness about these issues and in this issue of Roots we highlight some of the valuable work they are doing. More information about Roots at www.bgci.org/education/roots/

BGCI education e-update
Produced every month, each issue includes news updates from BGCI and botanic gardens around the world; links to education resources and materials you can use in your programmes; profiles of plant-based conservation educators and programmes; and ideas and feedback from our readers.
Sign up at www.bgci.org/EUpdate/EUpdateSignUp.html

BGCI education blog
Musings, ideas, updates and information from the botanic garden education world – interactive forum to share ideas and discuss issues. http://bgcieducation.blogspot.com/

Hard Rain - our headlong collision with nature
Bob Dylan’s lyrics are the inspiration for this book, an unforgettable collection of photographs the founder of Still Pictures image library, Mark Edwards. This second edition includes essays by Robert May, John Elkington and Geoff Lye, Jonathon Porritt and David Bohm and over 50 new photographs. A complementary exhibition is being displayed at botanic gardens around the world – for more information and to buy the book, have a look at www.hardrainproject.com

The End

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