Seed Journeys ~ Activity Pack (English)

S E E D J O U R N E Y S A C T I V I T Y P A C K

Introduction & Background Information

Notes On Our Thinking & Approach

The overall goal of this resource is to engage young people with their natural surroundings through the lens of seeds and seed saving.

As such, all seeds/advice you will find in the stories and activities are based on plants that grow in Ireland (native or naturalised). Most if not all are seeds you would find at this time of year (Autumn).

Each of the 3 activities includes background information, directions, and some printable black and white worksheets that might be useful. The activities presented in this resource target three developmental groups (Activity A for ages 6-7; Activity B for ages 8-9; Activity C for ages 10 12 ). However, these activities can be differentiated (tailored) as needed to cater for the individual needs of the young people who engage with this resource.

The approach taken when translating the stories and activities from English into Irish was to ensure that the language presented was accessible to both students attending gaelscoileanna and also students from senior classes attending English speaking schools. As is the nature of translating, some differences can be found between the two sets of stories. However, the main framework of the stories remains the same and therefore corresponds with the activities presented in conjunction with this resource.

This resource does NOT claim to provide a comprehensive resource on seed saving, but instead it seeks to provide a window into this beautiful topic which we see as a very important aspect of regenerating our ecosystem. We view this project as an opportunity to share a uniquely Irish rooted version of this subject that is playful and brings in natural heritage and cultural landmarks.

We know we are only scratching the surface of this rich content area there is so much to know! Please engage with the many linked resources to start to learn more.

“Hey, bud! How’s it growing?”

Guiding Principles When Implementing the Activities

Ensure comfortable, respectful and safe facilitation of the activities that follow

If working in a school or community setting, ensure compliance with land access protocols, health and safety policies, and risk assessments.

Remove any allergens relevant to the group related to seeds Guarantee that the plants and seeds are known by the facilitator. See links below for support Plants under conservation

Common poisonous plants http://www.wildflowersofireland.net/

Follow the wisdom of the honorable harvest

Take time to meet the plants

Take only what you need and no more (and only if there is enough in the first place). Give back.

Build relationship of reciprocity (give and take) with the land Share!

Ideas on How to Use This Pack

Autumnal activities with the family or school class

At the start of a unit of study, paced throughout a unit or as a capstone task

Individually, as a small group or as a community wide project

...you know your student(s)/child(ren) best!

Adapt to your own group ' s experience and interests. We fully encourage you to take what works and leave the rest.

Some Background Information/ Keywords to Have in Mind

Seeds…

Can be ‘packaged’ in different ways

Fruit-bearing plants/flowering (angiosperm)

Cone (gymnosperm)

Can require different amounts of time to germinate

Overwintering

10 years

Ancient

Can be different sizes/weights

Travel in different ways, searching for the right place to meet their needs of sunlight, soil and water

Wind Water Jump pop/drop/roll

Attach/ ‘hitchhikers’

Digestion - consumed for food Anatomy/ Processes

Embryo + seed coat + cotyledons

Monocots vs. dicots

Have all the food they need stored inside for the first couple weeks

Will form roots/shoots, and after their seed coat sheds and cotyledons emerge, they conduct photosynthesis (converting sunlight into energy/food for themselves)

Links to Practical Seed Saving Information and Related Activities

Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth (comprehensive seed saving book)

Top seed saving tips

Seed Saving ‘How-To’ Videos

Charles Dowding (UK based no dig gardener/educator) Saving Seeds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=bHFg6ZEsMCw&ab channel=CharlesDowding https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ZVb9JIAXJxU&ab channel=CharlesDowding

Growing in the Garden Saving Seeds

Irish Seed Savers advice

Klaus Laitenberger (Ireland based gardener) tomato seed saving with his son

Ideas for Activity Extensions: All Ireland Pollinator Plan Make your own origami seed envelopes

WE HOPE THISTLE DO!

Seed Journeys Curricular Alignment

Content/Skills (What do I want to teach?) CM Methodologies (How do I want to teach?) History

SESE

Strands:

Local studies

Strand units:

My locality through the ages

Seed anatomy & travel

Purpose of seeds and seed saving

Seed saving techniques

Sensory awareness

Mindfulness

Connection of seeds with wider ecological context

Peer to peer learning - turn and talk Content relevant games Reflection and journaling

Q &A Class discussion

Demonstration and modelling

Experiential

Small group work

Pair work

Careful observation Scientific drawings

Mathematical and scientific calculations

Critical thinking skills

Geography

Strands:

Natural environments, Environmental awareness and care

Strand units: The local natural environment,

Environmental awareness Science Strand:

Living things

Investigation and research using online and print resources

Strand units:

and animal life

Differentiation Resources

Questioning

Pair and small group work (mixed ability)

Teacher support

Different worksheet/paper/recording options

Plant/Seed ID Info Books/Cards Envelopes

Markers

Clipboards/journals

Pencils

Paper Collection tubs

Magnifiers

Found natural materials (already on the ground - not attached to a plant)

See specifics listed for each activity

https://irishseedsavers.ie/

Linkage and Integration Assessment

Anecdotal notes observation

Worksheet review

Verbal check ins

feedback

Vocabulary

Dormant

pollinating

Open pollinated Genetic variation Chaff Thresh Winnow Embryo

Cotyledon

Seed bank

Germinate

S E E D J O U R N E Y S A C T I V I T Y P A C K

Activity A: Seed Saving How-To's

BACKGROUND

Developmental Group: 6 7 year olds

This activity seeks to break down seed saving techniques as they are applied to a native Irish tree (oak), a common flower (calendula), and a vegetable with a pod seed casing (mangetout peas) Though it focuses on 3 specific seed types, the outlined strategies can be applied to other seeds in their categories.

General rules of thumb when collecting seeds from nature

Handle with care seeds are alive!

Leave some behind for wildlife seeds are a food source for many creatures Take only what you need/what you think you will actually grow. Have a plan for where you will plant these seeds/where they will go so you can figure out how much is reasonable to take.

Collect open pollinated seeds, NOT hybrid varieties this will ensure that what grows will be the same as the parent plant.

It will be easiest if you attempt to save/replant seeds from self-pollinating plants to avoid crossover with other varieties.

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General overview of seed qualities

FLESHY or DRY casings (fruit). Seeds from fleshy casings (like berries) usually need to be mashed or extracted in some kind of messy way, and seeds dry casings (like pods or nutshells) usually need to be dried before they’re ready to be taken out or planted.

Many seeds found in nature (from native trees or wildflowers) require a dormant period in a cold environment before being ready to germinate, and this mimics the winter to spring period of time they typically experience outdoors Seed Preparation & Storage

Part 1: Many seeds need to be dried in a warm, open environment for a few weeks and then cleaned before being ready for storage.

Part 2: Once dried and cleaned, most seeds prefer a cool, dark, dry place. Typically seeds will continue to germinate for 3 5 years after storage, but there are exceptions.

Ultimately each seed type will need different things so refer to the guides below/other references to get the specifics.

Further References

To start learning more about the science of these processes and get more detailed information read on here and here

Saving/growing tree seeds

Collecting Acorns

Growing oaks from acorns

More about Acorn collecting and planting in Ireland

Free Irish seed processing/tree planting guide from Our Trees resource

Saving wildflower seeds video from LifeLab

Wildflower seed saving guide from All Ireland Pollinator Plan

Mangetout Seed Saving from Betterplants ie

Growing mangetout peas from seed from Quickcrop ie Growing mangetout advice from School Earth Education

DIRECTIONS

Use the Oak, Calendula and Mange tout Worksheets for seed collecting guidance

s

a

a

OAK

How to Save Oak Seeds Acorns What's an acorn? In a nutshell, it's an oak tree.

Bucket or basket*

Sessile (Irish) vs Pedunculate (English) Oak Guide

Breathable sack (hessian or onion sacks will work)

Label (piece of paper with string/twine)

Pen/Pencil

Reuse idea: clean and dry recycled yoghurt pots or ice cream tubs are perfect for this purpose

When to Harvest the Seeds

Make certain you are working with the correct tree.

Usually acorns are ready to collect during September and October.

How to Harvest:

Check the soil underneath oak trees. The fallen acorns are the ones that are ready to be collected. From underneath oak trees, check for acorns that are:

Brown in colour (green ones aren’t ready and if they are too dark they might be rotting)

Free from nibbles or bites (no holes)

Gather the acorns into your basket or bucket.

Note: The bigger the better it means the acorn has more food stored inside it. It will grow faster when it’s planted

Storage

Place the acorns in a sack that lets the air through to make sure they don’t get mouldy.

Write the acorn type, date, and your name on lthe abel and attach it to the sack.

Make sure you plan to put them in a place that issafe from creatures like rats.

Keep the acorns in a cool, dark, dry place until you ’ re ready to plant them.

Growing oak trees

Do a Viability Test (checking to see if the acorns will regrow):

When you are ready to replant, put all acorns in a bucket of water. If acorns sink, they are ready to plant. If they float, they will not grow and they can be put back outside to become soil.

The best time to plant the acorn seeds is in Autumn timeso you can plant the harvest seeds right away after collecting them. If stored properly, you can plant acorns up to 4 months after they’ve been collected but not much longer.

Want to plant an oak tree?

Ripe acorn ‘ caps ’ should be easily removable. To plant, ensure the acorn ’ s ‘ cap ’ is off, and plant it in a container full of compost in a cool place out of direct sunlight. The acorns will start to sprout by springtime. The little oak trees will need to stay in a pot for a couple of years before being planted outdoors.

Draw an acorn:

OAK

Your notes:

a t e r i a l s

WILDFLOWERS

Dried head of calendula flower

Calendula Flower Identification

Scissors

Bucket or basket*

Bowl or plate*

Pen/Pencil

Envelope

Small Funnel** (optional)

How do the calendula seeds feel? What do they remind you of? How do you think these seeds would replant themselves if humans didn’t do it?

Reuse idea:

*clean and dry recycled yoghurt pots or ice cream tubs are perfect for this *purpose.

*the top half of a water bottle makes a great funnel.

When to Harvest the Seeds

Make certain you are working with the correct plant. The seeds from this (edible!) usually yellow or orange petaled flowers are probably ready when the head of the flower has completely dried and the petals have dropped off. They are usually ready in September and October.

The seeds left behind are ready to harvest when:

You can see that they are curved, like little letter C’s, or small snakes, or tiny worms

The seeds are tan or brown in colour

Note: if some of the seeds are still green and not brown yet, you can still pick them and leave them in a warm dry place until they turn brown

Harvest:

Carefully snap or cut the flower stem below the dried flower head to take it off.

Place the flower head in a basket along with any others you collect.

Sorting

As you take each dried flower head out of bthe asket, use your fingers to gently push the crescent moon-shaped seeds off of the hflower ead and onto the plate or bowl.

Save any leftover pieces of the flower for the compost.

Storage

Write the variety name, date, and your name onto the envelope. Place the dried flower seeds into the envelope. (Use the funnel if it is useful)

Seal the envelope. Keep it in a cool, dry place. Some people like to keep seeds in their refrigerator or freezer!

Flower seeds should last in storage for 3 5 years.

Celebrate!

When you realise…’I wasn’t all that interested in flowers, but I planted a few seeds, and they grew on me!’

You can plant the saved calendula seeds outside, between March and August!

CALENDULA

Draw a Calendula seed

Your notes:

a l s

a t e r

MANGETOUT

Mangetout Peas that are fully grown

1 Bucket/Basket* (per team)

2 Bowls* per team

Pen/Pencil

Envelope

Small Funnel** (optional)

How do the calendula seeds feel?

What do they remind you of? How do you think these seeds would replant themselves if humans didn’t do it?

Reuse idea:

*clean and dry recycled yoghurt pots or ice cream tubs are perfect for this *purpose.

*the top half of a water bottle makes a great funnel.

When to Harvest the Seeds

Make certain you are working with the correct plant. Wait until the mangetout peas are fully grown on the vine. The plant will look dried out and brown. There will be 3-5 peas per pod. The peas will feel big and circular in their pods, a little smaller than a marble. They will sound crackly when you wrinkle the pods.

They are usually fully grown about 3-4 months after they are first planted from seed.

Note: if the peas are big enough but not fully dried yet,lift the whole plant out of the soil and hang it somewhere warm and dry until they are fully dried

Harvest:

Gently pull the dried pods off of the plant and place them in a basket/bucket.

Bring them to your sorting station.

Sorting

Open each pod and take out the pea seeds inside.

Put the pod or ‘shell’ in one bowl (for the compost) and the dried peas in another bowl.

Storage

Write the variety name, date, and your name onto the envelope.

Place the dried peas into the envelope. (Use the funnel if it is useful)

Seal the envelope.

Keep it in a cool, dry place. Some people like to keep seeds in their refrigerator or freezer!

Pea seeds should last in storage for at least 3 years.

Celebrate!

Do a happy dance for peas on Earth!

You can plant your dried pea seeds between March June, and they will grow delicious peas for you!

MANGETOUT

Draw a mangetout pea pod and seed

Your notes:

S E E D J O U R N E Y S A C T I V I T Y P A C K

Activity B: Seed Travel Observations

BACKGROUND

Developmental Group: 8 9 year olds

This activity engages learners with investigating seed features, using sensory methods to observe seeds with close attention, and creating scientific drawings of seeds. The activity seeks to guide learners to use evidence from their observations to make predictions about how seeds travel.

Further References

Seed Hunt activity from RHS Seed dispersal investigation from Science Spar

S E E D J O U R N E Y S A C T I V I T Y P A C K

DIRECTIONS

To prepare: Discuss with your group what do you already know about seeds?

Where do you find them? How did they get there?

What do they need to grow?

What is mysterious about seeds? What do you still want to discover?

Read the Seed Journeys Stories together to connect the idea of seed saving to the seasons and wider ecosystem in Ireland. Use the questions on each page to reflect together about seed cycling.

Refer to other books like Gail Gibbons’ From Seed to Plant (read aloud linked here) to access the bigger picture around the science of pollination, seed development, and dispersal.

Go on a walk around your school’s area. You can do this in advance, ask children to do it at home with their family if you are in a school setting, or you can go with the group you’re learning with.

Collect whatever (nonpoisonous, not protected) seeds are available.

Then

It doesn’t matter if it’s rural or urban seeds are available from dandelions growing in cracks in the pavement, etc. Lay the seeds out in front of you.

Observe one seed at a time. We recommend having a sampling of seeds that travel in different ways, You can use the ideas/illustrations provided too in "A Closer Look" .

Finally, observe new seeds, predicting and testing their travel methods using the "Seed Observations" worksheet as a guide.

ACLOSERLOOK

With a partner, discuss what you notice about each seed in your collection. Use these questions as prompts for your chat:

What shape is it?

What is the texture of the seed?

Is it light or heavy?

Burdock

Hitchhiker

Willow Wind

Beech Nut

Mammal / bird

Cornflower Wind

Notes:

SEED OBSERVATION

Plant / Seed name Where did you find it?

Seed drawingplease label

Describe: (shape, texture, smell, sound, weight, any other descriptive words that help explain what the seed is like)

Because:

PREDICTION & TESTING

Prediction:

I think my seed travels... (on the wind, by floating on water, by being eaten and pooped out by animals, by attaching to fur and clothing…)

Testing your guess (write or draw)

After testing my guess I learned that...

S E E D J O U R N E Y S A C T I V I T Y P A C K

Activity C: Make a Seed Bank

BACKGROUND

Developmental Group: 10 12 year olds

This activity guides learners in creating their own seed bank. It is a multifaceted, active process involving teamwork and ideally community engagement. Seed saving is all about sharing and collective food resilience, and a seed bank is a practical way to bring people together for this nourishing practice

WHY save seeds??

Affordability

Independence

Genetic diversity preservation

Build meaningful relationships with community and land Food security/food justice Flavour

Can support pollinators and building biodiversity …and the list goes on!

Further References

Design a seed bank

More seed saving activity ideas

Importance of Seed Saving, a message from Irish Seed Savers

S E E D J O U R N E Y S A C T I V I T Y P A C K

DIRECTIONS

Read and discuss background information about the history and importance of seed saving This link has a good summary under the headings “Background Information” and “Making Connections” (though it has a U.S. centric narrative).

Questions to guide your discussion:

What do you already know about seeds how they are made and how they travel?

Why would we save and share our own seeds from our local area, if we can just buy them at the store?

Plan a Seed Bank

1 a.

Check what seeds you have growing in the local area

Use an identification key (and the help of experts!) to guide you. You must be 150% sure that the plant is what you think it is! The main categories of seed you might save are from native trees, meadow wildflowers, or vegetables and fruit in the garden

Identification keys/guides/games to start you off: fruit/seed identification

Autumn tree leaf ID to help identify trees that seeds might be hanging on tree/seed matching

Wildflowers pictured at different stages of growth Some apps that could be useful (but need to double check with other sources!):

Seek Picture This Plant Net

S E E D J O U R N E Y S A C T I V I T Y P A C K

a. i 1. a. b. c. d. i. ii. iii. 1. 2.

Keep a log of the plants you find that you are interested in using the "Local Plant Log" worksheet to help Research seed saving strategies/details for these plants

Information to start you off: Main difference in strategy between seed saving for fleshy fruits (like tomatoes) vs dry receptacles (like pea pods): pg. 37 39 Tree seed saving instructions

Excellent overview of wildflower seed collection and storage

Vegetable seed saving advice

Starting page 19 Seed Saving for different vegetables overview Books to buy Book from Brown Envelope Seeds

Seed Saving Handbook from Irish Seed Savers website

Design & Create a Seed Bank using the "Seed Bank Planning" document.

1. Keep in mind, while the Seed Bank is a place to store seeds you’ve saved, it can also be a great opportunity for building community a place for gathering and connecting people with place. Hold onto that idea as you make your plans…

Decide which plants from the log to harvest/store and make sure you have collected all the information you need

1. 2 Make a list of materials needed (for the seed harvest, seed storage, and seed bank itself)

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Find a suitable location/shelter

Things to consider:

Is it accessible? Nearby?

Will it be cool and dry year round?

Collect/harvest your seeds (refer to Activity A)

Things to consider:

What needs to happen before they are stored? Do they need to dry for a few weeks first in a warm, open place before storage?

Start your seed storage

Things to consider:

What packaging will you use? Is everything labelled with the seed variety name/location/date of harvest?

Let people know!

Are the seeds safe from mice and fully clean of insects? How are you going to share the seeds? Things to consider: Hold community seed sharing days Include skill shares too?

Events

Communication will you name the seed bank and share info online? With flyers?

Can other people add their seeds to the seed bank?

What’s Next? Future Plan Ideas

LOCAL PLANT LOG

Drawing

Why It’s Interesting (edible, good for pollinators, pretty, etc.)

Plant name

Plant name Drawing

Why It’s Interesting (edible, good for pollinators, pretty, etc.)

LOCAL PLANT LOG

Drawing

Why It’s Interesting (edible, good for pollinators, pretty, etc.)

Plant name

Plant name Drawing

Why It’s Interesting (edible, good for pollinators, pretty, etc.)

SEED BANK PLANNING

The Team: Who is helping with the project? Most great work requires collaboration. Adults, peers, etc. Some jobs you might consider assigning are:

Role Description Name

Team Organiser

Designer/ architect

Fundraiser

Treasurer

Seed harvest coordinator

Seed storage manager

Communications and Marketing

SEED BANK PLANNING

Seed Bank Design

It will need to be a cool, dry place.

Will it be a shed? In a storage closet in your home/school?

Location

Where will the seed bank be?

Who will look after it?

Materials

What will you need to make it happen? What can you reuse/recycle? Can anything be donated?

Seed harvest Seed storage Seed bank

Funding

What will it cost? Who will pay for it?

Do you need to fundraise?

Communication

How will you share information about the Seed Bank and related events and activities?

SEED JOURNEYS

connectingpeopleandplace through seed stories & seed saving