Visiting the Botanic Gardens

Finally we were able to go to the Botanic Gardens since our first trip had been cancelled due to rain. After a pleasant bus trip we arrived to a warm welcome and time spent with our Educationalist, Richard. He took us outdoors to search for minibeasts and explained how important minibeasts are for the environment. We enjoyed scraping the ground to unearth various creatures and also saw a weta in its wooden house. Richard gave us an opportunity to enact the process of pollination. A few children were dressed up as flowers and the rest of the class were either butterflies or bees. They collected pollen from one flower and transferred it to another. It was a great way to gain an understanding of pollination. After that Richard took us into a courtyard where there were many vegetables and flowers growing. He showed us the composting areas where food scraps and paper get mulched together and then Richard took us to an enormous worm farm where the worms change those food scraps into soil. We used some worm tea (worm wee) to water the plants close by. No wonder the plants were looking so healthy. Lastly, Richard treated us to a story in the indoor classroom and we played some games relating to minibeasts. We also got an opportunity to view live worms close up. It was all very fascinating. After we had enjoyed our lunch, it was time to explore the gardens. We spent time in the herb garden looking for various plants and using our five senses as scientists do. What a wonderful trip it was and we all agreed that it was a great day of learning!