JUSTIN FAULL
The Benowa botanic gardens was host to the yearly ‘Discovery in the Gardens’ event this August.
Adults and children alike engaged in a wealth of practical and educational activities that were on offer at this year’s event.
Curator of the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens, Liz Caddick, was responsible for organising the event and bringing together a multitude of speakers and educators.
Ms Caddick said the event was focused on making education about the environmental aspects of the Coast easily accessible to the public in a fun and inexpensive way.
“The theme is science and exploring- with activities that are simple and tangible,” Ms Caddick said.
“This year had speakers such as Jerry Coleby Williams…he gets a lot of people in and is really good promotion for the event.”
Yet despite the success of the event, Ms Caddick remains unsure whether it will return again next year.
“The first event I did, I organised from about six weeks out- but now I usually do it from about six months out…it’s a lot to organise and is quite expensive.”
Discovery in the Gardens is just one of many local events created by the Gold Coast council that remain free to the public.
In the lead up to the Commonwealth Games, events like these are expected to become more frequent.
Local resident, Bethany, said it was a fantastic event and a great way to get the kids out.
“I hope they do more of these [events], it really shows what the Gold Coast is all about.”