Behind the Scenes - 2025

Description :

Come and discover the stories that live behind the walls of Australia’s first established herbarium. 

 

The Behind the Scenes program will take students on a botanical journey, following the process of how plant material is collected in the field, to how it becomes part of the State botanical collection. Students will see how delicate plant specimens are dried and pressed to become a reference piece for scientific study. 

 

The tour will take students into the herbarium building to observe and discuss the role that the botanic collection plays in conservation and building our understanding of plant distribution and systematics. 

 

There is an option to include a tour of the nursery and plant propagation area as part of the 90 minute program (shortening the component of time spent in the Herbarium). For more details enquire at time of booking.

 

Places visited: 

 

  • Identifications room including the Victorian reference set  

  • Specimen mounting room where herbarium pieces are prepared  

  • Collections area where plant specimens are stored 

  • Nursery/propagation houses (optional) 

 

Teacher Resources

 

Behind the Scenes Teacher Resource

 

Time Action
Morning (10:15 to 11:45)
Afternoon (12:45 to 14:15)
  

Location

Melbourne Gardens
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Recommended year level

Tertiary/TAFE and VCE students

Price

$30.60 Per Student

Notes

Set price of $306 per class. Maximum class size is 10 students + 2 educators