Optional professional learning experiences

Over semester two of 2025, we were supported by a Campus Living Lab Accelerator Program Grant to offer pre-service teachers optional professional learning experiences in the Native Plant Garden.

This project was run in partnership with academic and professional staff from the Student Experience Team to contribute to priorities in the University of Melbourne’s Sustainability Plan 2030.

Over the semester, we were able to offer these workshop titles in collaboration with academics from the Faculty of Education and the wider community of educators:

• Connecting to Country: Bringing Indigenous Resources into the Classroom with Jakobi Ili-Jakobi from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and Nadine Crane
• Exploring Native Plants Across Australia’s Landscape with Natasha Ziebell
• The Importance of Murnong (a.k.a the Yam Daisy) with Andrew Chris and Kerry Vance , and Emily Rochette
• Stories and Songs as Connection to Country with Jesse Lloyd and Emily Wilson
• Let’s Draw Plants Together: Exploring Wellbeing in the Native Plant Garden with Craig from Draw Plants Together and the Student Experience Team