What’s it all about?
Have you ever wandered through the bush and wondered what the plants were surrounding you? Which of the approximately 1000 local native plants could it be? Or was it a weed?
Do botanists “just know it” or do they have a few handy tricks up their sleeves? Whether you are already in touch with nature or not this class will inspire you to know more about the wonderful world of plants as well as picking up some of the nifty tools of the trade along the way.
What will we cover?
You won’t be suddenly able to recognise all the local plantlife or the hundreds of bush weeds found in Melbourne by the end of this class. However, we will be learning the secrets of how and where to look so you can spot the differences between plants – known as spotting characteristics – and we will explore the tools used by botanists to identify plants. With some fun activities using common local plants you will explore strategies to overcome what Wandersee and Schlusser dubbed “Plant Blindness” and start releasing your Inner Botanist!
Who will be teaching?
Pascale connected to her Inner Botany in early childhood. She kept that connection alive ‘potting around with plants’ as well as growing a deep love of the Australian bush. She is an Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association (IFFA) member and found out about Plant Blindness while teaching plant skills to Conservation students… and it all made sense. She doesn’t know all of Melbourne’s plants (yet) but continues to enjoy the journey.