Did you know that tulips are the national flower of Hungary, not the Netherlands? Or that roses are not only the national symbol of Bulgaria, but also of Slovenia and the Czech Republic?
A large number of young botanists showed significant interest both in interesting information about the national flowers of the countries of the European Union, and in the creation of the “European Herbarium” within the series of children’s workshops held every Saturday at the European House.
“European herbarium” implies the creative creation of a herbarium inspired by the national flowers of European countries , including the Serbian national flower as a symbol of closeness and connection between the peoples of Europe.
Children at the workshops have the opportunity to get to know the biological, cultural and historical characteristics of plants and their importance in the local context through play and learning. Herbariums will be made in the form of drawings and collages , which encourages creative expression and personal experience of nature.
Although flowers know no borders, peoples across Europe have chosen their national flowers that they nurture and preserve, and within the ‘European Herbarium’, curious eco-researchers will learn which plants are protected and what their characteristics are, and they will get to know the fairy tales and legends related to them.
The workshops are conducted in cooperation with the Children’s Cultural Center and the Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” in Belgrade. Vesna Krnjajić from the Children’s Cultural Center and Branislav Šiler from the Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” in Belgrade guide the participants through this magical and scientific journey.
The previous Saturday, little botanists had the opportunity to learn about the national flowers of Ireland, Estonia, Denmark and Slovenia. Next Saturday is reserved for Latvia, Cyprus, Lithuania and Italy.
As a final result, it is planned to create a publication – the European Herbarium , which will combine children’s works with the appearance of an old botanical book with accompanying descriptions of plants. In addition, during the European Green Week , an exhibition of works will be organized in the European House, which further promotes children’s creativity, environmental awareness and common European values.
Workshops will be held every Saturday until the end of April. The cycle covers 28 countries, 27 EU member states and Serbia.
Children can register for the workshop using our form HERE.
