Bgen and PlantNetwork hosted this training session provided by the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) on 03 March 2022. The session explained the science and policy of climate science and provided tools and techniques needed to communicate climate change and climate science within public gardens. The training was aimed at anyone working with schools or responsible for community outreach, adult education and visitor engagement which involves climate change discussion.

A key challenge for all gardens is the effects of climate change. Knowing what it is, how it might impact us and how we can tell our garden visitors more about it will only become more critical in the next few years. This course covered the following elements in an introductory presentation and three modules:

• The science behind climate change  
• How our climate has changed so far 
• The connection between climate and weather 
• Impacts of climate change now and in the future 
• Current climate policy and outcomes of COP26 
• The pitfalls of climate change communication 
• Trusted resources and access to experts 
• Jargon associated with climate change 

The aim is to make those working in gardens, particularly those involved in education and engagement, more confident when talking about climate change. All participants will have access to the session recordings and slides for use as reference material so please get in touch if you attended the event but have not yet received links to these materials.

We would like to run this course again if there is sufficient interest. If you would be interested in attending this incredibly informative training course, please contact the PlantNetwork Coordinator (office@plantnetwork.org) to register your interest.