Creating a university evolution garden: An integrated learning approach for teaching land plant evolution
A recent research paper published by (opens in a new window)Dr. Caroline Elliott-Kingston, Head of Horticulture at the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science discusses how the award winning UCD Evolution of Land Plants Garden, designed as an inspirational teaching and learning resource, was initially showcased at Ireland's major annual garden festival ‘Bloom in the Park’.
During the five day festival, the garden was used to engage the public and educate them about the critical importance of plant science research, the availability of plant science degrees, and the range of plant science careers open to graduates, achieved through regular tours of the garden and handing out more than 50,000 explanatory leaflets. The garden won two prestigious ‘Bloom in the Park’ awards, Gold Medal and Best in Category (Concept Gardens).
Following ‘Bloom in the Park’, the garden was relocated to UCD Belfield campus in 2017 as a permanent teaching and outreach resource for undergraduate and school students.
The full paper is available to read (opens in a new window)here.