Issue 24

Voluntary Work: National Botanic Garden of Wales

This was a well worth the organization to volunteer for, as they look at how plant's grow and reproduce as well as in the environment in which they live in. Plants are not the only things that are at the gardens, there is also a farm at the gardens which breed sheep and cattle. The cattle which are all welsh black's number about 20 breeding cows, this is done for Aberystwyth university to see if they can improve their herd. Whilst I was there the vet came and we helped vaccinate the cows. This was a hard job as we had to put each cow into the stock which held them there to be injected. The sheep also had to be drenched and wormed and all the lambs had to be tagged on the ears and all the numbers on the tags written down so you could tell the age, breed and parents of the flock as they get older.

This was a well worth organization to volunteer for, as they look at how plant's grow and reproduce as well as in the environment in which they live in. Plants are not the only things that are at the gardens, there is also a farm at the gardens which breed sheep and cattle. The cattle which are all welsh black's number about 20 breeding cows, this is done for Aberystwyth university to see if they can improve their herd. Whilst I was there the vet came and we helped vaccinate the cows. This was a hard job as we had to put each cow into the stock which held them there to be injected. The sheep also had to be drenched and wormed and all the lambs had to be tagged on the ears and all the numbers on the tags written down so you could tell the age, breed and parents of the flock as they get older.

In the botanic dome there are a wide number of plants grown which range from the Mediterranean, Asia, North and South America, Far East and more besides – in fact three are over one and a half million plants at the National Garden.

There are a number of electronic talk shows as well as a café and talks from some of the staff. Outside there are a number of features in the garden like the water feature which you can see as soon as you walk in. There are also things for the children to look at like pond life in which the adult's enjoy too. There is also a Victorian walled garden which has a lot of old Victorian plants in and local school's have there own little garden inside the warmth of the walled garden. Behind the scene's there are lots of planting and potting going on.

So if you can get a voluntary job from the Clinic go for it as they great for the body, mind and sole as you meet all kinds of people and it's good fun for all.

SimonB