Autumn/Winter 2011/12 - Harcourt Arboretum - University of Oxford

Botanic Garden News | No. 79
9
Education update
by Lynn Daley and Sarah Lloyd
We’re delighted to report that the Garden
Primary Education Officer Emma Williams
had a baby girl, Tegan, in September. We
welcome Leah Whitcher who is covering
Emma’s maternity leave. Leah is an
environmental science and geography
graduate who has worked as a marine ranger,
a gardening journalist and a primary school
teacher, specialising in art and outdoor
education.
We had a very busy summer with lots of
events including, in July, Alice’s Day and a
Forest Picnic Afternoon, both of which drew
large crowds to the Garden to take part in a
variety of activities.
To celebrate 2011 as the International
Year of Forests, we ran a series of family
friendly events throughout August, each
addressing a different aspect of trees and
forestry. Though occasionally hampered by
the British summer, these afternoons proved
very popular. There was also a series of new
trails at the Arboretum, which gave visitors
the opportunity to discover different aspects
of the site, on and off the more popular
paths. Each week the trails were linked to
the themes of the family friendly events – so,
for example when the event was ‘Trees are
Great for Exploring’, the related trail encouraged
visitors to go ‘Around the World in
Eighteen Trees’.
Our ever-popular autumn programmes
for primary schools began in early September
and have, as usual, booked up very
quickly, giving lots of children a chance see
autumn colours and to create autumnal
art works at both the Botanic Garden and
Harcourt Arboretum. Half-term events for
families included making autumn lanterns
at the Arboretum and tie-dying at the
Botanic Garden using natural dyes created
from hedgerow plants.
Leah Whitcher
A-level chemistry students from three
Oxfordshire schools came to the Botanic
Garden and the University Department of
Chemistry for a programme of free activities
during the autumn term. They visited
our Chemistry at the Garden exhibition (see
page 13) and then went to the Department of
Chemistry for a practical workshop in which
they synthesised indigo. (Natural indigo is
derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria
but the dye can also be synthesised in the
laboratory.)
In October we ran the first of a series of
seasonal primary school teacher CPD (continuing
personal development) courses at the
Arboretum. The aim is to help teachers to
make the most of the outdoors in their teaching.
The Arboretum provided the perfect
venue, with a variety of habitats and stunning
autumn colour. The winter course will take
place at the Botanic Garden in January and
will provide teachers with ideas and practical
advice as to how to incorporate outdoor activities
at a time of year when many school groups
huddle indoors and miss out on lots of handson
learning opportunities.
A badger shelter built by children as part of the den-building activity
at the ‘Trees for Materials and Shelter’ afternoon at the Arboretum in August
A-level chemistry students synthesise indigo