Some local school students were lucky enough to attend an education session hosted by Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria education staff in our very own Sale Botanic Gardens recently.

‘Designed by Nature’ teaches students to look to nature for design inspiration and problem-solving through STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and biomimicry - the process of using concepts and ideas from nature to solve complex problems.

Students from Wurruk, Bundalaguah, Sale and Maffra primary schools, as well as Year 9 students from Maffra Secondary College, studied examples of inventions and the plants and animals that inspired or influenced them, and devised their own nature-inspired engineering in a mini Biomimicry Design Challenge.

Using the critically endangered Gippsland Redgums (Eucalyptus tereticornis subsp. mediana) in the Sale Botanic Gardens as inspiration, some innovative ideas included solar powered covered tunnels (inspired by the Redgums’ photosynthetic bark) or a eucalyptus-oil coated brush to deter lice in humans and animals (inspired by the Redgums’ strongly scented leaves, which are a defence mechanism to reduce leaf predation).

The backdrop of the Sale Botanic Gardens provided students with an excellent opportunity to observe some of the Redgums up close, and see some of their mechanisms in action.

Wellington Shire Council is excited to be able to partner with RBG Victoria on these exciting, nature-based programs, and looks forward to developing this educational partnership further in the future.