THE launch of the new Nature Discovery Centre facility and education program at the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden will take place on 10 July during a free community Open Day.
The building will be formally opened by the City of Coffs Harbour mayor Nikki Williams and the Friends of the Garden.
The Nature Discovery Centre building, which is 70 metres from the garden entrance – past the front lawn, pavilion and Water Wise Garden – has been designed as an indoor/outdoor learning space for visiting school groups.
It features a yarning circle with wood stumps and space for children to learn about plants and nature.
The need for a dedicated building to host schools and educational programs at the garden was identified in 2020.
Funding for the $350,000 project came from the Friends of the Garden, donors, community groups and the City of Coffs Harbour.
Council managed the design and contracts for the $270,000 building while the “Friends” and TAFE students assisted with landscaping works.
Two Education Kits also being launched as part of a new program of field study, are based around short discovery walks.
“Our Habitat, Our Home” focuses on habitat types and the animals living there while “Art in Nature” focuses on leaf and plant shapes through creative activities.
President of the Friends of the Botanic Garden Graham Tupper said the Nature Discovery Centre and educational kits will make learning about plants, gardening, wildlife and nature fun and engaging for all ages.
“The Botanic Garden offers a safe outdoor classroom learning space using the existing five-kilometre network of signposted paths and boardwalks to explore a variety of plants and animals in both natural old growth forests covering over half of the garden, and in the planted garden areas,” he said.
“The two new education kits include guiding notes for short discovery walks at the Botanic Garden as well as NSW syllabus linked learning activities for teachers to use in the classroom before and after a visit.
The kits can be downloaded for free from the garden website – coffsbotanicgarden.com.au – along with a variety of other introductory guides to the plants and wildlife of the Coffs Coast and wider North Coast region.
On the Open Day, families can participate in a range of activities and pick up a free “habitat tree” mini poster.
The garden’s café, the Leaf and Bean, will reopen soon.
By Andrea FERRARI
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