The children will also find out about the traditional cultures of the South African San bush people and the drought tolerant plants growing in the Mediterranean climatic zone of the Western Cape of South Africa.

Nick Wray, Curator of the Botanic Garden, said: “This is a unique opportunity for the children to see something new and to experience rock art, a medium none of them would have done before. 

“The workshop will use the extensive plant collections grown at the garden, many from the Mediterranean climate zone of the Western Cape of South Africa.”

Mrs Sam Mumford, a teacher at Henleaze Junior School, said: “This is a perfect opportunity to combine science and art with our class topic, whilst allowing the children to experience something new.”

  During their visit the school children will:

• Tour the Botanic Garden and be introduced to different plant forms from the seasonally dry Mediterranean climatic zone of the Western Cape of South Africa.  This will give the children an opportunity to look at basic plant morphology and discuss how plants have evolved different strategies for dealing with a seasonally dry environment.  They will walk through the Evolutionary Dell, Phylogeny and New Zealand displays.
• The children will be introduced to the rock type typically found in the Western Cape, and will discuss its weathering and topography and man’s use of rock caves and overhangs. The children will have the opportunity to see different sandstones in natural settings and to handle examples of sandstone.
• There will be a demonstration of the making of paints from natural pigments and materials and the creation of artwork on rock using traditional brushes.
• The children will make their own rockwork painting on individual pieces of rock for display at the Botanic Garden and Henleaze Junior School.