Xplore! Pollinator and Herb Trail: Xplore! Science Discovery Centre, Wrexham, has announced a biodiversity trail using a series of planters in Wrexham town centre. These planters would mark a pollinator, food and herb trail utilising the support of volunteers and local community partners.
Henblas Square to Glyndŵr
The planters would contain appropriate culinary and medicinal herb plants and plants beneficial to pollinators and a range of fruit and vegetable plants. They would mark a pedestrian trail a mile long, leading from the entrance to Xplore! in Henblas Square, continuing via Hope Street, Regent Street and Crispin Lane to the site of the Science Garden on the Glyndŵr University Campus. Each planter would be approximately 300 metres apart.
The hexagonal planters are designed to fit together in a block of three, rather like a honeycomb structure. Each planter will have attractive illustrated information relating to the trail, the plants in that particular planter, together with details about Xplore! and partners such as Incredible Edible Wrexham.
Once in place, volunteers from various community groups and charities based in Wrexham would look after the planters. They would provide an ongoing attractive living feature in the town centre and add biodiversity to a barren and predominantly “hard urban streetscape”.
Apple Pips!
The project distributed apple pips originating from the 300-year-old apple tree at Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire to selected science discovery centres across the UK. Woolsthorpe Manor was the birthplace and home of Sir Isaac Newton, and the tree was already fruiting when Newton lived there!
As their contribution to the project, Xplore! (then Techniquest Glyndŵr) worked with the pupils from two local schools to sow the apple pips. The seeds germinated alongside other seeds planted by Techniquest, and these have now grown into small saplings ready for planting. The seedlings were nurtured by Simon Brown, a volunteer with the project and previous employee of Techniquest Glyndŵr.
Go to xplorescience.co.uk or sciencecentres.org.uk/projects/newtons-apple-seeds for more information about this.
The Trail
The pollinator trail would start with three large planters in Henblas Square. They would contain the apple saplings originating from the Newton’s Seeds project together with a native crab apple sapling. These trees would assist with pollinating the ‘Newton’s Apple Trees’ and help produce apples in future years. Interpretive signage would explain the origin of the apple trees and also Sir Isaac Newton and his connection with science and the development of physics and mathematics.
Why not bring your family along at the end of August, when the trail is expected to be ready? You could also register your interest as a volunteer via their lead project partners, Incredible Edible and Yellow & Blue.
For local businesses considering sponsoring sections of the trail, please contact info@xplorescience.co.uk or visit xplorescience.co.uk.
Partners for the project so far include Wrexham County Borough, Incredible Edible, Glyndŵr University and Yellow and Blue.
More About Xplore!
Xplore! is the trading name of North Wales Science, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales as a charity. Wrexham Glyndŵr University wholly owns the charity. Xplore! is the premier Science Discovery Centre in North Wales, attracting the general public and school visits at primary and secondary level. The centre offers over 65 interactive science exhibits in addition to live science shows delivered to the public at weekends and during local (Wrexham) school holidays, enriching the lives of over 80,000 visitors every year.
For schools, Xplore! offers a comprehensive programme of curriculum-related science workshops and shows for groups in Foundation/Key Stage 1 right up to Key Stage 5. These can take place at the centre or by outreach visits across the whole of North Wales and into North West England. Visit xplorescience.co.uk for more details.
We hope you’re enjoying our article “New Xplore Exhibits Arrive“. For more posts about Xplore!, please click here.
Heart of the Community
Xplore! Science Discovery Centre is a collaborative effort between our staff, partners and the local community. Their ‘Heart of the Community’ vision is to make science accessible to all. And, that to end, they work hard every day to improve what they do and offer our audiences.
Following a monumental effort over the last few years, they’ve finally been able to put their plans into practice. In 2019, they obtained funding from the Inspiring Science Fund and the Targeted Regeneration Investment Programme. This money went towards transforming and relocating their science centre and build closer relationships with local communities.
You can see the most visible part of their changes through the work of their Community Outreach Team. Additionally, the Team is engaging with as many community groups within our catchment area as possible. Especially those who historically have had barriers between themselves and science engagement.
Let Xplore! Know What You Want
Throughout the process, there has been an immense focus on public consultation to create a science discovery centre shaped and designed by its visitors. Xplore! are still actively engaging with groups to hear their suggestions, concerns and interests. They have many forums for letting them know what you think, particularly through social media, outreach events and in-centre consultations.
The new centre’s opening does not mark the end of the engagement process: they’re looking to consult with the general public, schools, and other groups to co-create the best experience possible to bring their long-held dream to life.
To summarise: their goal is to provide interactive and fun science activities made by the community for the community.
Why not join our Facebook Group or maybe you know a community group that would like to take part in some science activities?
A Brilliant Idea?
Have you got a brilliant idea for a science activity and you would like to work with Xplore! to bring it to life?
Check out their latest news and events pages or for more information. To get involved, contact us at projects@xplorescience.co.uk.
This £2.8million project includes a grant of £1.75 million from the Inspiring Science Fund and £750,000 from the Welsh Government’s Targeted Regeneration Investment programme. The Inspiring Science Fund scheme is co-funded by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UK Research and Innovation and Wellcome.
Wrexham County Borough Council co-ordinates The Targeted Regeneration Investment Programme for Wrexham.
We hope you enjoyed our article ” Xplore! Pollinator and Herb Trail“. For more posts about Xplore!, please click here.
