Year 4 Excursion to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens

On Friday 28 April, the Year 4 students went on an excursion to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens as a part of their Unit of Inquiry, Sharing the Planet. Our tour guide, Trent, began the excursion by taking us to a unique grocery shop - in a tree! He demonstrated how Indigenous people used every part of the tree in their daily lives - from collecting honey for food, to using it as medicine for soothing sore stomachs and easing colds, to making weapons such as spears and building shelter.

We then explored the Botanic Gardens and learned about the diverse flora. Trent shared that witchetty grubs are composed of 95% water and are crucial to have around during droughts. We also saw amazing trees that are designed to survive bushfires through the curve of the bark and burying their roots deep in the earth. The students had an opportunity to touch, smell and feel the leaves of some plants. One plant that stood out was the Parapara tree, which produces pods that, when broken, release a sticky, glue-like substance that Indigenous people use to catch birds.

One of the highlights of the excursion was when Trent showed us how to make fire using soft sticks from a tree. We were amazed to see smoke appear so quickly, and the smell was delightful!

Overall, it was an incredible day of learning about sustainability and how the Indigenous People lived on Kaurna land, respecting the trees, plants, and animals around them, and only using what was necessary to live.

Mrs O’Brien, Mrs Vigor and Ms Zacher
Year 4 Teachers