We have always realy enjoyed getting involved with British Science Week and 2019 was no exception. 

We invited 3 Salford primary schools to spend the day with us to investigate the theme of journeys.

Around this time we had been thinking a lot about Joseph Evans tthe 19th century botanist and herbal doctor from Boothstown and decided to look to him for inspiration. 

The children all became members of the Unusual Bridgewater Botanists Club and started off by undertaking a fact-finding journey to look at their surroundings and forage for natural items growing by the Bridgewater Canal in Worsley.

Taking further inspiration from the Boothstown Botanical Society they poured over books and trawled through the internet to find out what they had collected.  

Artist Angie Thompson (founder of the Unusual Bridgewater Botanists Club) showed the children how Edwardian plant collectors catalogued their finds and helped them to create their own botanical index cards.

The third part of the day explored the notion of journeys in a much more 21st century way.  With the expert guidance of MakoCreate the children used iPads to design a retro computer game themed around journeys and navigate through tunnels and over bridges, just like the real Bridgewater Canal.

As with so many of our learning activities, we were able to look to the past life of the Bridgewater Canal and bring that heritage right up to date.  Over 250 years since it was built, the canal is still very much a part of our lives today.  Its journey continues...