The Biodiversity Garden is looking particularly beautiful at the moment. Not only are some of the wattles heavy with brilliant yellow, fragrant blossoms but the garden has benefited from the care and attention of a special group of children.
Ever since May this year the UnitingCare Burnside Aboriginal Support Network has based one of their weekly afterschool programs at the Biodiversity Garden. The children come to the garden to learn about Australian plants, do some gardening and enjoy the benefits of being immersed in nature.
I recently dropped in on one of the gardening sessions and was greeted by enthusiastic young gardeners who were keen to show me what they had accomplished. The children proudly guided me around the garden showing me “their” plants. I was very impressed by the quality of their work.
Under the supervision of Head Gardener Ron Watson, the children have planted close to one hundred young trees and shrubs. All of the plants are native to the local region and many are bush tucker plants. Aunty Diane McNaboe has shared some of the Wiradjuri names of the plants to help the children understand the importance of the plants from a local Aboriginal perspective.
A real and relevant hands-on task of this nature helps these children achieve learning outcomes that they might find difficult to achieve in the classroom. Furthermore the children are creating a beautiful and lasting legacy that they will be able to show their own children in the future.
Science Café will start at 10am and run until 1pm today at the Oasis Valley in the Dubbo Regional Botanic Garden. I recommend you combine a visit to this lively, family friendly event with a stroll in the Biodiversity Garden.
For more information about Science Café visit: drbg.com.au/ScienceCafe
by Ian McAlister & Karen Hagan