Year 9s Explore Biodiversity at Kew

The Year 9s kicked off their Adventure Week with an exploration of Kew Gardens on Monday 20^th June. Building on the Quaker testimony of sustainability, the group were given the opportunity to explore the relationship between art and science  and get involved in an experimental art session, taking inspiration from Kew’s diverse living collections and magnificent Victorian architecture.

Oscar enjoyed the day, enthusing, “My favourite moment at Kew Gardens was that it was really relaxing to just have a day outside and enjoy the nice weather whilst also learning about biodiversity.” Fellow student Livi added,  “Kew was a really lovely experience in the sunshine; in the morning we did the tree top trail which gave us great views of the park and even further out into London which was really cool, as you could see the skyline. In the afternoon we went to an art and science workshop led by a Kew Gardens volunteer. We did one minute drawings, discussed the links between art and science and used sgraffito. It’s a new technique for us which uses oil pastels then you scrape some of it off using chopsticks before etching in more detail. We went into the temperate greenhouse and there were lots of ants so all my sketches include ants as well as plants and architecture.” Alice commented, “I loved looking at the plants in the greenhouse from across the globe, it was incredible to see a collection spanning such a wide variety! There were even some incredibly endangered plants that could not be found in many places across the world. I had never realized just how many birds and bugs were everywhere! Although I often hear chirping, really taking time to listen and see was a new experience. There was much more biodiversity and life than I knew of before.”

Oliver Staines, Head of Geography, who organised the trip, reflected, “I really enjoyed the tree top walk as it gives you a different perspective and it reminded me of Malaysia where you can see the top of the trees and the city skyline together.”