Botanical Garden: COME IN! VSTUPTE! KOM IN! WEJDŹ! GYERE BE! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Botanical Garden: COME IN! VSTUPTE! KOM IN! WEJDŹ! GYERE BE!

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Disabilities – special needs; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The Prague Botanical Garden (PBG) introduces the breath-taking world of plants using many different methods and since 1996, it has emphasised perceiving nature by all senses. We want our garden to be open to everyone, regardless of potential disability. Year 2012 was the turning point in these activities. On the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) conference we presented our long-term experience with visitors with special needs. Our project captured the attention of colleagues from all over Europe and we were invited to share our surprising experience via a case study published on the BGCI website. After that, we contacted our colleagues through European Botanic Gardens Consortium with the offer of cooperation on a common project aimed on the accessibility of BGs and arboreta.
THE AIMS OF THE PROJECT, as stated in the application form (AF), were completely fulfilled during the 3y timespan, in some aspects and in a positive sense they were exceeded:
1. Create intellectual outputs:
1.1 “Botanical garden: Come in! Visitors with special needs in botanical gardens. Methodology” printed and online version (O1)
1.2 The model example of the interactive exhibition and of the activities for perception of the life of plants and the around world with all senses with the symbolical title: “Never Alone. The Secret of Symbiosis”(O2)
2. Improve and expand the offer of high-quality learning opportunities based on analysis of the needs of partner organizations
3. Strengthen international cooperation and networking between organizations at mutual meetings
4. Expand and develop qualification of educators based on sharing and developing gained experience primarily in the field of educational activities
PROFILE OF THE PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
1. PBG (370 000 visitors/year) is a modern scientific and educational institution. The problematics of garden accessibility and visitors with special needs are considered a long-term priority
2. Gothenburg Botanical Garden (SWE, 500 000 v/y) one of the largest botanic gardens in Europe, has extensive public and educational activities, provides nature based therapy of stress-related disorders as well as stress management courses
3. The AMU Botanical Garden (PL, 980 000 v/y). Their multi-thematic educational offer includes guided tours, workshops and lectures as well as an extensive system of educational paths provided with information boards enabling visitors to explore the Garden’s collection on their own
4. Hungarian Association of Arboreta and BGs (HU) associated 40 institutes and 200 individuals all focusing on living plant collections, their management and related conservational and educational activities.
ACTIVITIES
According to AF we organised:
– 7 transnational meetings in all project organizations – workshops, excursions, visits to inspirative places, analysis of the partnering organizations’ needs, the development of innovative educational approaches, preparing and carrying out intellectual outputs (O1,O2)
– International Conference (E1), the main dissemination activity: “Botanical garden: A green world for everyone! Educational activities for visitors with special needs in green spaces”- dissemination on European and worldwide level (Nigeria, China-registred)
– We successfully realized all the planned activities and essential outcomes of the project: exhibition for all senses, we issued the methodology and organized an international conference aimed on accessibility of BGs.
– There were additional activities: meetings in each organisations; making of three video spots for presentation of the project (in English and Czech) for social media, project web and websites of partner institutions; realization of open-air activities called Garden for all senses in PBG
– Other dissemination activities were realized during the whole 3y timespan of the project and significantly participated in positive rating of the project on all levels (see attachment).

THE IMPACT of these activities surpassed the expectations formulated in AF especially in the European and worldwide scope. Thanks to the project, we contributed to the advancement of social role of BGs and we succeeded in moving the topic to the center of interest in Europe. An indisputable evidence is e.g. opening of the conference by Paul Smith, Secretary General of BGCI.

A clear LONG-TERM BENEFIT of the project was increasing and deepening the attention to the topic of accessibility of BGs and the method of perceiving nature by all senses on all levels:
– local – in all partner organizations the project spawned activities developing the topic of accessibility and their realization is planned for more than oncoming two years
– national – all organizations will work further on the topic of accessibility and they place it among the priorities, the publication (O1) can be used as a tool to help this
– international – long-term activation of the interest about BGs accessibility transgressing the region of Central Europe

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 255584 Eur

Project Coordinator

Botanická zahrada hl. m. Prahy & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• UNIWERSYTET IM. ADAMA MICKIEWICZA W POZNANIU
• Magyar Arborétumok és Botanikus kertek Szövetsége
• Göteborgs botaniska trädgård