Education E-update

Arts, Plants, and Education

In the past month, we've received a flurry of announcements and updates from botanic gardens around the world about current and upcoming art exhibitions. While some may argue that art exhibitions have little to do with plant-based education, we see art as another powerful entry point for introducing your visitors to the fantastic world of plants and the need for their conservation. In this month's 'In the Spotlight', you will find examples of art exhibitions taking place at botanic gardens around the world. Send us information about art exhibitions at your botanic garden or education site, 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

International Education Congress programme now available: Find out who's presenting at BGCI's Education Congress in Durban, South Africa, this November by logging onto the Congress website. This exciting programme will actively engage you in listening, debating and hands-on activities. 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. And hurry, the deadline for the early bird registration rate is 31 July!

Roots, call for resources: The next issue of BGCI's education journal Roots will focus on the International Year of Biodiversity, which will take place in 2010. The objectives of this issue of Roots are to raise awareness about the International Year of Biodiversity and to provide educators with ideas for developing relevant education programmes. If you have an education resource that fits in with this theme, please email Julia Willison. Roots is published twice a year and sent to all BGCI members. For membership information, please visit the BGCI website.

New York Botanical Garden features 'The Edible Garden': This summer, the New York Botanical Garden (USA) presents 'The Edible Garden', a celebration of plants and food. From June 27-Sept. 13, visitors to the Garden can visit six exhibitions, including Martha Stewart's Culinary Herb Garden; take part in two festival weekends that celebrate local, sustainable food choices and global cuisine; and enjoy seven Thursday evening events that include wine and beer tastings. The exhibit aims to help visitors better understand how plants provide the food and drink that are essential to life and wellbeing.

Chelsea Physic Garden offers Darwin-themed summer lectures: Following last year's successful series of summer evening lectures, Chelsea Physic Garden (UK) will stay open every Wednesday in July and August until 10 pm. Additionally, to celebrate Darwin's bicentenary and the 150th anniversary of the publication of 'The Origin of Species', a Darwin-themed Summer Lecture will take place every Wednesday evening.

University of Balochistan Botanical Garden opens to public: The University of Balochistan Botanical Garden (Pakistan) was inaugurated last month by the Honourable Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi. Additionally, the first-ever first flower show was organised in the garden in conjunction with the worldwide celebration of Plant Conservation Day on May 18. A large number of students from different departments of Balochistan University participated by displaying artistic flower arrangements.

Missouri Botanical Garden launches mobile phone tour: A new tour at the Missouri Botanical Garden (USA) gives visitors the opportunity to learn about horticulture and the Garden's founder, Henry Shaw, through the use of a mobile phone. Visitors see a sign for the audio tour, call the local phone number using their mobile phone, and listen to facts about featured plants and garden history. The tour was produced in conjunction with Guide By Cell.

Botanical Garden of Las Tunas opens new classroom: The Botanical Garden of Las Tunas (Cuba) opened a modern classroom to support its environmental education programmes. The classroom features endemic and exotic plants from the Garden.

'Wicked Plants' come to Brooklyn Botanic Garden: This summer, Brooklyn Botanic Garden (USA) highlights the most nefarious, troublesome, and even potentially deadly members of the plant kingdom. 'Wicked Plants' introduces visitors to more than 50 plants in the Garden whose capacity to injure, poison, or perhaps just irritate humans is a powerful reminder to tread lightly in the plant world. The exhibit was inspired by the release of author Amy Stewart's Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities.

Quail Botanical Gardens opens children's garden: The new Hamilton Children's Garden at Quail Botanical Gardens (USA) opened to the public for the first time earlier this month. The new garden includes an 'earth builders' zone where kids can plant seeds, and a 'garden of rhythm' featuring an 18-foot-long bamboo xylophone.

Photography competition winners announced: The winners of the second International Garden Photographer of the Year competition have been announced. The winning entries, chosen by a panel of thirteen judges from thousands of entries received from around the world, may be viewed online. Additionally, the winning entries are on display in a special exhibit at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this summer.

RHS Garden Rosemoor opens 'The Brash': The new family picnic and play area, 'The Brash', at RHS Garden Rosemoor (UK) officially opened May 27, with the typical English weather failing to put people off. Despite the heavy rain, children and their parents donned raincoats and wellies, and had a great time playing and picnicking in the fabulous new family area, which features log stepping stones, giant bugs, dens, bird feeding stations and much more.

We want to hear from you! 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: Is your botanic garden or education site planning a special art exhibition in the coming year? Click on a response below to cast your vote!

Yes, we are planning an art exhibition.

No, we are not planning an art exhibition.

Last month, we asked when you last conducted a formal evaluation of your site's education programmes. Here's what you said!

Tools You Can Use

'See the Bigger Picture': The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the National Geographic Society, and Airbus have announced a new campaign, 'See the Bigger Picture'. In the new campaign, National Geographic is launching a worldwide photo contest for children to encourage curiosity and understanding of biodiversity. The new initiative is designed to contribute to international efforts to raise public awareness on biodiversity and to encourage participation in 'The Green Wave' project.

BYSE 2010, The Biodiversity Year Schedule of Events in 2010: This online database provides the general public and science communicators with constant information on events scheduled around the world as part of the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010. Site visitors can search for events by country, date, and institution. Event listings include a short description of the activities. Your public events can be easily added online.

Have you got an education resource that you can't do without? Send us your most valuable tools or resources, and we'll include them in an upcoming issue of Education E-update.

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