Canberrans connect with nature at National Botanic Gardens during open day

The Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) in Canberra has thrown open its gates as part of the first Botanic Garden Open Day.

Organised by Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand Inc to raise awareness of the gardens' importance and educate communities on their native flora, the Botanic Garden Australia and New Zealand Open Day saw the Canberra attraction hold a series of art workshops and tours giving people the opportunity to learn by connecting art with nature.

ANBG Visitor Services and Events Manager Jennifer Salkeld told the ABC "it's about using their hands and their hearts to actually engage with the gardens here (and) understanding more about what's in our collection.”

The activities ranged from charcoal drawing to making clay statues, with visitors of all ages getting involved and learning about the science behind some of the flora.

Salkeld added “there's some very important sciences actually undertaken here.”

For the National Botanic Gardens, the open day fits in with a broader plan to increase the number of people through the front gates.

It was revealed last year that the gardens were struggling with declining visitor numbers.

Salkeld said the open day was one of many public programs aimed at boosting the garden's traffic, concluding “we're trying to encourage more of the community to engage with the work that we do.

"It's about bringing the community into our garden, to get them to explore more about what we do."

Image courtesy of the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

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