The Great Plant Hunt
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The Great Plant Hunt is a primary school plant science learning initiative, developed by the
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,100 ...
, and funded by the
Wellcome Trust The Wellcome Trust is a charitable foundation focused on health research based in London, in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1936 with legacies from the pharmaceutical magnate Henry Wellcome (founder of one of the predecessors of Glaxo ...
. It is supported by
DEFRA DEFRA may refer to: * Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, United States law * Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom government department {{Disambiguation ...
, Sir David Attenborough, and Science Learning Centres in the UK. Primary science resources kit boxes or 'Treasure Chests', developed by Kew, were sent to every maintained primary school in the UK in Spring 2009. The boxes' contents – teaching materials and seed processing equipment – support teaching of the primary science curriculum for every year group from 5–11. The resources enable children to experience the variation and adaptation characteristics of plants. UK children will also be invited to contribute seed to Kew’s
Millennium Seed Bank The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (MSBP or MSB), formerly known as the Millennium Seed Bank Project, is the largest ''ex situ'' plant conservation programme in the world coordinated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. After being awarded a Mi ...
, supporting their research and conservation work. All activities are linked to the National Curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2, with a focus on the science curriculum, but also offering cross-curricular opportunities. Forming part of the Darwin 200 initiative, the Great Plant Hunt encourages primary school children to "follow in the footsteps" of
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
by going on nature walks in and around their school grounds. The aim is that children find out more about plants, think about the roles plants play in people's lives, and in the process learn key scientific skills. Schools do not need green space to participate in the project; local parks, churchyards, and playgrounds can be used. Many of the activities are completely classroom-based and will be supported with online resources including video and music. Engagement may involve the whole school or just one class. It was relaunched as a European project in 2015 using the resources previously developed by Kew but with different funders.


References


External links


Greatplanthunt.org

Kew.org

Wellcome.ac.uk


Charles Darwin bicentenary Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew {{UK-edu-stub