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Education E-update
- April 2009
BGCI Education Team
 | The Bigger Ecosystem Picture
 In many parts of the world, the return of spring is an explosion of colour and scents at botanic gardens in bloom. Springtime isn't just about plants, however, and many botanic gardens are giving their visitors a bigger ecosystem picture with programmes and educational opportunities focusing on spring migration patterns and other amazing animal tales. For example, Chicago Botanic Garden (USA) is highlighting the migratory birds of spring, and Ness Botanic Garden (UK) and the National Botanic Garden of Wales (UK) recently held special events to highlight the UK's dwindling bee population. At the Norfolk Botanical Garden (USA), visitors are experiencing baby bald eagles on-site through a web cam and education programmes. Send us information about your efforts to include the bigger ecosystem picture in your education programmes, and we'll include it in an upcoming Education E-update. Best wishes,
The BGCI Education Team
education@bgci.org (for general education enquiries to BGCI)
e-update@bgci.org (for Education E-update enquiries)
| | Education News From Around the World
Keynotes announced for BGCI's Education Congress: Plans are blooming for BGCI's Education Congress in Durban, South Africa, where we have three excellent keynote speakers lined up: Professor Brian Huntley, former Chief Executive of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI); Stella Simiyu, BGCI Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Officer; and Caroline Lewis, Director of Education, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (USA). The congress runs from 1-5 November, and on the Wednesday we will be spending the day at Durban Botanic Gardens where delegates can participate in a range of stimulating and engaging workshops on practical education methods used in botanic gardens. Check out the Congress website for details and sign up to receive regular Congress updates via email. Education at the heart of new garden in Finland: In preparation for the opening of Kumpula Botanic Garden in Helsinki this June, staff from the Natural History Museum and Helsinki Botanic Garden came together in March for a one-and-a-half day education workshop run by BGCI. The main focus of the education workshop was interpretation. Staff participated in a range of educational activities and learned about the diversity of education programmes run in botanic gardens worldwide. Read more on the BGCI website. Science Festival at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: Family activities, science demonstrations, and puppet shows were all on offer as the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh took part in the Edinburgh International Science Festival, Europe's largest celebration of science and technology. The Garden also hosted special guest lectures, including 'Coping with Climate Change' and 'Thinking Like a Vegetable: How Plants Decide What to Do'. New conservatory at Foster Botanical Garden: Foster Botanical Garden (USA) recently unveiled its new conservatory, featuring orchids and tropical plant displays. The conservatory is focussed on providing visitors opportunities to learn about special plants that are associated with the Garden's home state of Hawaii. Carnivorous plants featured at Cambridge University Botanic Garden: A special exhibition of carnivorous plants, including Sarracenia from South America and the Venus fly trap, is now on display at Cambridge University Botanic Garden (UK). Running through September, the exhibition also features plant species studied by Charles Darwin. Anniversary celebrations at Singapore Botanic Gardens: Singapore Botanic Gardens is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year with educational opportunities focusing on the history of the gardens. During April, a special exhibition, 'Rubber: The Seed That Changed The World', is on display. Later this year, programmes will include an exhibition highlighting the lives and work of Darwin and Wallace and a photo exhibit of international rainforests. Even more news online! Check out even more botanic garden and plant-based education news on BGCI's website, including a story about a citizen science project at Chicago Botanic Garden (USA). Correction: In last month's E-update, we featured The Great Plant Hunt and Thinking Walks at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Unfortunately, we included a broken link to the Thinking Walks website. If you'd like to learn more about Thinking Walks, follow this link to the programme website. What's new at your botanic garden? Send us the latest news from your botanic garden or education site, and we'll include it in an upcoming issue of Education E-update. | | PlantEd Poll
It's quick and fun! Read this month's poll question and click on your response. We'll publish the results in the next Education E-update! This month's poll: Are your education programmes being impacted by the global economic crunch? Click on a response below to cast your vote! Yes No Last month, we asked what is your favourite part of Education E-update. Here's what you said! 
| | Tools You Can Use
Others Are Us seeks botanic garden partners for art programmes: Others Are Us, an organisation based in New York City that connects youth from different countries and cultures mainly through art, is seeking botanic gardens around the world to take part in a June 7 celebration, 'Making Friends With Flowers.' The celebration builds on recent special events coordinated by Others Are Us with Brooklyn Botanic Garden (USA) and the South China Botanical Garden. Online journal focuses on ESD: The latest issue of the E-Journal of Solidarity, Sustainability, and Nonviolence (SSNV) is focussed on education for sustainable development. The journal includes a special online consultation and asks readers to respond to key questions related to ESD. 'Learning Science in Informal Environments': The National Research Council (USA) has released a new report, 'Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits'. The report notes that experiences in informal settings can significantly improve science learning outcomes for individuals from groups that are historically underrepresented in science, such as women and minorities. Mark your calendars! May 8 is National Public Gardens Day in the United States. Sponsored by the American Public Garden Association, this national day of celebration is intended to raise awareness of America's public gardens and their important role in promoting environmental stewardship, conservation, and education. And remember Plant Conservation Day is May 18! Additionally, don't forget that botanic gardens and zoos around the world--from China and Australia to Russia, UK and USA--will be celebrating Plant Conservation Day on May 18. The newly revamped website will be live on April 27 providing you with plenty of ideas and resources to run a PCD event in your garden. Fostering Sustainable Behaviour workshop in Halifax, Nova Scotia: A one-day introductory workshop on June 11 will provide an overview of community-based social marketing and how it is being applied throughout the world to foster sustainable behaviour. An advanced workshop is also being planned for June 12. 'Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability': The Center for Ecoliteracy (USA) is sponsoring a three-day professional development seminar, 'Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability', June 22-24 in Berkeley, California, USA. The seminar offers the opportunity to learn about the growing schooling for sustainability movement, explore the principles of schooling for sustainability, and develop strategies for a rich variety of approaches to schooling for sustainability. | | Housekeeping
To subscribe to Education E-update, use our online form. To unsubscribe from Education E-update, simply reply to this email with "unlist" in the subject line. For information about how we protect your privacy, see our Privacy Policy. To reuse content from Education E-update in your own publication, send us an email. Feel free to forward this newsletter, however. | | | | April 2009 | | In the Spotlight This month, we shine the spotlight on Felicity Gaffney, Head of Education at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland. If you would like to be "In the Spotlight", send us an email. How long have you worked in plant-based education? I have been involved in plant-based education for twelve years, beginning as the first-ever professional guide at the National Botanic Gardens in 1996. When I joined the gardens it was a time of great redevelopment and expansion. It was my privilege to write the education strategy and to establish the education and visitor services department at the gardens. In this time, I have been developing education at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin in Dublin and also in Kilmacurragh Arboretum, Co. Wicklow, with a staff of ten guides. How did you become involved in plant-based education? I studied horticulture as a mature student. Initially, I had worked in dance both as a choreographer and teacher. Combining my previous teaching experience with a lifelong interest in plants provided me with the ideal job where I could explore creatively approaches to explaining and interpreting the world of plants. What would you say your philosophy is on education and learning? Working in botanic gardens I feel the most important tool available is the plants themselves. Experiencing Ireland's only tropical rainforest for the first time (in the old Victorian Palm house), few people can fail to be impressed by the visual and physical assault on the senses this stimulates. The outdoor classroom presents many opportunities for sensorial experiences. By engaging the students in nature and the world of plants, so too can we hope to develop their interest in the environment and stimulate the debate on the need to live sustainably on the earth. What is your most memorable moment as a plant-based educator? My favourite part of the job is that moment when you realise that the audience, be they children or adults, have engaged with what you are doing. It could be that first question you are asked indicating that this student, who may outwardly have been looking like they were indifferent to the proceedings, suddenly surprises you with the intensity of their interest, or that stillness that can descend during a tour as enthusiastic children are straining to listen to what you are saying. What is the one thing you want your audiences to go away knowing? We want to develop and stimulate our audiences to have a deeper interest in the importance of plants in our lives. We also would like people to realise the importance of conserving plant diversity both nationally and internationally. These underlying themes are explored in all tours given to the public regardless of topic. What one piece of advice can you offer to an educator starting up an education programme in a botanic garden? A piece of advice for new educators: An inexperienced communicator, often out of enthusiasm for the subject, has the tendency to overdo it. Don't tell it all. You may think you are impressing people with your litany of Latin names, but unless you are with a specialist group, this only serves to isolate you from your audience. Use simple language and include your audience in discussion whenever possible. An old adage from the theatre world has always served me well: 'Always leave your audience wanting more.' What is your favourite plant? I found it hard to choose a favourite plant as each new season reminds me of yet another old favourite. As a child I played regularly in a field with bluebells and primroses growing wildly and plentifully. My favourite times were spent collecting flowers and arranging them in jam jars. This early contact with nature moulded the eventual career path I followed in life. For more information about education programmes at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, email Felicity Gaffney or visit the Gardens' website. | | | | | | What We're Reading  Botany for Gardeners, by Brian Capon. We all need a little brushing up on our botany skills from time to time--but who has the time to read a 500-page textbook? This little gem covers the basics of botany in clear, concise language. A great remedial text for plant-based educators and a great resource to share with your audiences. Click on the image to buy this book from BGCI's Amazon bookstore. | | | | | | | | | | How will you be celebrating Plant Conservation Day? May 18 is Plant Conservation Day. Check out the official website for ideas on how to celebrate at your botanic garden, zoo, or other education site. | | | | | | Get weekly news updates from BGCI via email Click here for more information. | | | | | | | | | | | Education E-update is a free e-newsletter published monthly by Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Botanic Gardens Conservation International
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