THE BOTANIC GARDEN ISS 35 – MARCH 2013
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Dandy Lions preschool program – presented at BGCI Congress Relle Frances Mott, Education Officer, Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust The following article is an extract from a paper presented Relle Frances Mott on the Dandy Lions preschool program at BGCI’s 8th International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens held in Mexico November, 2012.
local and international audience. The team comprises specialists in school environmental sciences education, Aboriginal educators, public programs officers with event management, exhibition, interpretation and curatorial skills, and our outreach program team, Community Greening. Approximately 20,000 students are engaged annually in our diverse environmental education programs.
Celebrating its’ bicentenary in 2016, the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney (RBGS) is indeed fortunate that early governors had the foresight to set aside the land, preserving it for plant collections and pleasure gardens, in what is now the heart of the city. Now encompassing three sites in very different environments, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust (the Trust) is the organization responsible for the management and stewardship of the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney and the Domain; the Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan; and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah.
Dandy Lions in action. Photo Credit: Relle Mott
The original sixty-four hectare Sydney site adjacent to Port Jackson, boasting mature trees, wide green lawns, and important plant collections well-kept by dedicated horticultural staff, has been much loved by visitors for nearly 200 years. As the oldest scientific institution in Australia, it continues to be at the forefront of plant sciences research and education. In a contemporary context, this extract from the Trust’s mission statement clearly encapsulates the Trust’s purpose: “As a living organization, we connect people with plants through imaginative horticulture, beautiful landscapes, transformative learning experiences and cultural events.” A new strategic plan based on the acronym LIVING will guide the direction of the three gardens towards a strong future.
Dandy Lions. Photo Credit: Relle Mott
The Community Education team at the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, strives to deliver a suite of exciting programs focused on plants, their conservation and their vital role in our lives to a
One of these educational programs is Dandy Lions, a unique early childhood program, which strives to deliver environmental education to urban children and their families as weekly fun in the Garden. It offers a creative, positive nature experience, connecting, enriching and extending children through an immersive program of gardening, nature walks, botanical craft and stories. Each week there is a new garden theme with related activities and children are free to participate to whatever level they choose. The value of messy play and getting dirty with gardening and craft activities outside is appreciated by subscribing families, many of whom live in apartments. Dandy Lions includes a planting activity most weeks and children gain familiarity with planting seeds, watering, growing and nurturing plants, and taking home their pots of seeds and harvested produce. Sustainability ‘reduce, re-use recycle’ - is at the heart of all the activities.
Regular contact with the RBGS indigenous educators creates positive attitudes for urban families who may otherwise never have contact with Australia’s first people.