Beginners’ guide to botany

This lively, informative, hands-on course offers complete beginners a relaxed introduction to the world of botany. With plenty of plant material to look at in the classroom, we will investigate the vegetative (leaves, stems and roots) and reproductive (flowers, fruits and seeds) parts of flowering plants, and start to understand the roles that they perform. Outside in the Garden we can visit the Rising Path to consider the domination of the angiosperms (flowering plants) in the broader context of the whole plant kingdom, and we will make use of the plant collections to explore plant adaptations and the variety of flower forms. There will be time to explore how to use a field guide, with the opportunity to practice and develop your own plant identification skills.

Karen has a lifelong love of plants and the natural world, and enjoys sharing her knowledge through courses, talks, and guided walks. She completed a PhD in wheat genetics, before becoming Head of Education at Cambridge University Botanic Garden (2006–2012). She now works as a freelance botanist and educator, running botany courses for adults, teaching field skills to school groups, and leading walks that explore botany, historical landscapes, and geology. She also gives talks to Natural History Societies and U3A groups. Karen volunteers with her local environmental group in the Chilterns, leading walks, managing a Pollinator-Friendly Garden and serving on the Board of Trustees.