School Excursions

The Botanic Gardens Trust draws on spectacular plant displays to provide quality learning experiences. Our lessons aim to increase students’ understanding and appreciation of plants and the environment through hands-on activities. All lessons are closely linked to the New South Wales Board of Studies Syllabus Outcomes and are conducted by highly qualified and experienced Botanic Gardens Trust staff.

Each of the three Gardens has a schools excursion program:

• Royal Botanic Gardens - school excursions
• Mount Annan Botanic Garden - school excursions
• Mount Tomah Botanic Garden - school excursions

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, contains themed environments such as Temperate Rainforests; Tropical Lowlands, Montane and Australian Rainforest housed in the Tropical Centre; the Succulent Garden, Main Pond, Oriental Garden, the Cadi Jam Ora: First Encounters Garden, Herb Garden, Rare and Threatened Garden and the Heritage Palm Grove. These environments provide the perfect setting for students to gain the skills and knowledge needed to become environmentally sustainable citizens. 

Mount Annan Botanic Garden is the native garden of the Botanic Gardens Trust. The themed displays, including the Bottlebrush, Wattle and Banksia Gardens and the Terrace Garden, can be used to interpret the evolution of Australian plants. The various lakes and open Cumberland Plain woodland provide a good base for studying and exploring habitats as well as teaching bush awareness.

Mount Tomah Botanic Garden is a unique excursion venue surrounded by the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Many aspects of science and geography come to life during your field trip. Displays and natural areas include Temperate Rainforest, Alpine, Heath Woodland, Tall Open Forests. Our displays provide the backdrop for the creation of safe yet exhilarating educational experiences

Lesson duration and class size

Lessons with our Education Officers are one and a half hours to full day excursions. Due to the nature of our outdoor excursions and taking Quality Learning and Occupational Health and Safety into consideration, our class size is limited to a maximum of 25 (Early Stage 1), 30 (Stage 1 to Stage 4) and 25 (Stage 5 and 6) students.

Please ensure that you have no more than our required maximum number of students in each of your class groups.

Risk Management at the Gardens – school excursions

All you require for your excursions at the Gardens in regard to risk management to ensure the health and safety of your students, your staff and excursion volunteers. Click here to view Risk Assessment of the Botanic Gardens for School Excursions.

Duty of Care

Following the Department of Education and Training policy in regard to ‘Duty of Care’ teachers are required to have a minimum of one teacher for every 30 students. Duty of care requires that each group is supervised by a teacher from your school and that teachers remain with their student group at all times. Parents and other supervising adults are most welcome.

Student Discipline

Botanic Gardens Trust staff are not responsible for dealing with the discipline of your students. This remains the responsibility of the school’s teachers.

How to book an excursion at the Gardens

• Choose which of our three Gardens you wish to visit.
• For the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, excursions phone: Community Education Bookings Officer on 9231 8134 (Monday to Friday) ;
• For Mount Tomah Botanic Garden phone: Community Education on 4567 3015
• For Mount Annan Botanic Garden phone: Community Education on 4634 7930
• Select the lesson you would like your students to have from those listed under either Stages 1, 2 & 3 or Stages 4, 5 & 6. If you would like something different to these then please phone our Education Officers. They can organise an excursion to suit your specific needs.
• Have on hand a few suitable dates for your excursion, number of students, number of classes, school address, phone and fax numbers and email address.
• If the Community Education Unit phone is busy or unattended please leave your name, phone number and the best time to call. We will return your call as soon as possible.
• On completion of you booking we will send you a completed ‘Confirmation of Booking Form’ and a Teacher's Information Kit. Please send back the pink copy of the ‘Confirmation of Booking Form’ and any special requirements for your class.
• Lessons discussed with the Education Officer beforehand will target your specific needs and those of your students so make sure that at least one of your participating teachers phones to confirm your booking and has time to discuss your particular expectations for the lesson.

Lesson fee

• Early Stage 1 - $120 per class (up to 20 students), for each student over 20 - $6 per student for 1 ½ hour lesson
• Stage 1 to Stage 3 - $150 per class (up to 25 students), for each student over 25 - $6 per student for 1 ½ hour lesson
• Stage 4 to Stage 6 - $165 per class (up to 25 students), for each student over 25 - $6.60 per student for 2 hour lesson
• Tertiary Institutions - $182 per class (up to 25 students), for each student over 25 -$7.25 per student  for 2 hour lesson
• Full day workshops: Stage 1 to Tertiary - $300 per class (up to 25 students), for each student over 25 - $12 per extra student for 2.5 to 4 hour lesson

All charges are inclusive of GST

These fees include the services of our Education staff for the lesson and a Teachers Information Kit containing worksheet masters and information about your chosen topic. All supervising adults are free.

Payment

The Department of Environment and Climate Change will invoice the school. Please send your cheque to the postal address on the invoice and the Department will send the receipt to the school. You will be asked to fill in a ‘Confirmation of Invoice Details for Excursion’ form to verify student numbers on the day of your excursion.

On the day

Arrive at the designated meeting point at least 20 minutes before the lesson is scheduled to commence to allow students time to have a bite to eat and go to the toilet. An Education Officer will be on hand to greet you and your students.

What if it rains?

Gardens lessons will go ahead even in inclement weather. If it’s raining please bring appropriate wet weather gear. Wet weather facilities are available and even in poor weather the Gardens take on a special atmosphere that creates a meaningful learning environment.