Resource person: Jess Henry - Adult & Family Programs Manager

Location: VanDusen Guides Classroom | 5151 Oak St, Vancouver, BC, V6M 4H1

Description:

Today, it is more important than ever to document the Earth’s plant biodiversity during this critical period of climate change and rapid biodiversity loss. Pressing plants and making a scientific plant specimen is a fascinating and fun way to document local biodiversity while making beautiful art in the classroom.

In this introductory workshop, you will learn how to use this outdoor activity to encourage your students to look closely at their surroundings, and find inspiration in the plant species found in their schoolyard and neighbourhood.

Linda will show participants how to prepare your materials before you head out to collect, including responsible and ethical collecting and cultural considerations, as well as how to collect specimens for preservation, and what species to start with. Participants with learn to make a plant pressing, as well as create a sustainable craft to take home as an example of the many ways teachers can utilize this skill with their students.

Pressing plants is an accessible skill that is easy to learn, is inexpensive and accessible, and requires very few specialized tools, making it highly adaptable to the classroom. 

About the Instructor: Linda PJ Lipsen (Linda Jennings) is the Collections Curator at the University of British Columbia Herbarium, Beaty Biodiversity Museum and author of Pressed Plants: Making a Herbarium. Plants have stories to tell, and Linda is passionate about uncovering and illuminating their story through exhibitions, on-line videos and images, collection tours and activities, including hands-on workshops. She delights in connecting people to the century-old collection she curates, and in sharing the history of botany and its female botanists, the collectors behind the specimens, and the use of collections in teaching and research. 

Available: Full

Price: $40.00 Taxes not included

Notes: Cancellation policy: For cancellations with 1 week notice, a credit will be applied to your account. Less than a week's notice, no credit will be given. No new credit will be issued if the cancelled course was purchased using prior credit. Credits must be used within 1 year from the date of issue. Please notify us of your cancellation in writing to learn@vandusen.org

Prerequisites: In order to register for a class, you first need to open an account with Amilia, our online registration portal. Note that your membership account does NOT give you this access. You must open a separate account in Amilia. Follow this link to create your account: https://www.amilia.com/en/Signup Please save your Amilia account user name & password for registration in future classes.

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