A new competition to inspire younger people to develop a love of plants and conservation has been launched by Environment Minister, Carmel Tebbutt. Ms Tebbutt has invited Australian artists to create a centre piece for a new children’s garden at the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden in the Blue Mountains. She said the Breen Sculpture Competition, a Botanic Gardens Trust initiative, would award the winner with $20,000, with an additional $30,000 available for producing the centrepiece.
Children targetted in sculpture comp
“A series of four themed children’s gardens, each with a sculpture and integrated landscaping, will be designed as fun and educational places for children to play,” she said. “Deep habits are developed in childhood and a pattern of visiting gardens at this time can have life-long benefits.” Ms Tebbutt said the first of the gardens would be called the ‘Garden for Laughing Children’ and aimed to stimulate natural curiosity and make learning fun. She said the theme for the first garden was Exploring – getting close to nature and looked at nurturing a love of nature in children and adults. Ms Tebbutt said competition entrants must follow the Botanic Garden’s mission – to inspire the appreciation and conservation of plants. The competition has been supported by Tom Breen, Managing Director of Breen Holdings, who said the new garden would provide the perfect backdrop for children to play, have fun and learn to value the environment. “As a father and grandfather myself, I can say with certainty that our children must be given every opportunity and encouraged at an early age to enjoy and relate to the beauty and spirit of the natural world,” Mr Breen said. “Historically my family has a significant and ongoing commitment to the creation of ‘sustainable beauty’ in the region, as expressed in the creation of our garden estate, Breenhold, at nearby Mount Wilson.” Executive Director of the Botanic Gardens Trust, Dr Tim Entwisle said the initiative would encourage more children to become excited about plants and to learn about their importance to life on Earth. “I’m thrilled that thanks to the generosity of the Breen Family we can add to the magic of the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden,” Dr Entwisle said. The competition was open to artists 18 and over, and would close on 27 February next year. Further information was available from www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
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