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Botanic Garden Offers Quirky Training Opportunity

Friday 24 September 2010, 1:43PM

By Dunedin City Council

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DUNEDIN

The Dunedin Botanic Garden supports industry training, in partnership with other city organisations, by offering three-year horticultural apprenticeships, internships, international student placements and practical training.

This year, as an addition to the more formalised training opportunities, the Garden has teamed up with the Sir George Seymour National College of Airline, Travel and Tourism, to provide tourism students with an off-beat taste of what it’s like to work with the public.

On Rhododendron Day, 17 October, 15 tourism students disguised as ladybirds will be on the wing in the Botanic Garden’s Rhododendron Dell. The ladybirds will greet and act as tour guides to explorers as they follow a trail of clues leading to unexpected corners of the Dell.

Sir George Seymour College Campus Manager, Toby Mann, says, “Any liaison and interaction with the public is great experience for the students. They get a lot out of volunteering for different events around the city and they are really looking forward to the Rhododendron Day.”

The Botanic Garden has an international reputation for its training programmes and staff enjoy the opportunity and challenges this involves. Dunedin Botanic Garden and Cemeteries Team Leader, Alan Matchett says, “The Botanic Garden has many facets and we are constantly looking at new ways of engaging users and visitors to experience and benefit from this wonderful resource, and this is one such opportunity.