What is plant-based education?
BGEN promotes the enormously positive role that active, plant-based learning can play in educational settings. But what exactly do we mean by "plant-based education"?
Plant-based education supports the use of plants as a tool for learning in all aspects of school curricula and lifelong learning. Plants can be used to teach not only scientific disciplines such as botany, ecology and taxonomy, but also social sciences, languages, and the arts. The diverse nature of BGEN member organisations reflects the wide variety of ways that plants can be used in all types of education. For example:
- Living Medicine uses plants to teach about good health and nutrition.
- Royal Horticultural Society uses plants to teach about gardening.
- Science and Plants for Schools focuses on the teaching of plant science and molecular biology.
- Holly Lodge Centre provides plant-based learning opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.
- Creeping Toad uses plant-based stories, poems, lanterns, and puppets.
- Prebendal Manor uses plants and gardens to teach about the medieval history of the site.
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International supports plant-based education focusing on conservation and sustainable development.
Plants offer educators tremendous opportunities to inspire learning through hands-on activities. Visit our member pages to learn more about the innovative ways BGEN members are promoting plant-based education.