The new Monash University Earth Sciences Garden, Australia

The Monash Earth Sciences Garden (MESG) was conceived approximately four years ago when Monash University’s Dean of Science set a challenge for schools within the Science Faculty to develop new, innovative and ‘hands-on’... [ view full abstract ]

The Monash Earth Sciences Garden (MESG) was conceived approximately four years ago when Monash University’s Dean of Science set a challenge for schools within the Science Faculty to develop new, innovative and ‘hands-on’ teaching approaches. A proposal was put forward to construct a large outdoors teaching area (120 m by 30 m) that would enable undergraduates from the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment (SEAE) to hone their field measurement and mapping techniques, and rock and mineral recognition skills before being set loose in the ‘real world’. A small team of earth scientists from the SEAE set about designing a complex and unique plan that is inspired by the geology and geomorphology of Victoria, southeastern Australia.

The design incorporates over 500 different rock samples, weighing up to 14 tons each, representing 20 different types of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks. Each of the rock samples has its own specific location and orientation in the garden. Nearly all rock samples were sourced from southeastern Australia. Quarries were identified and visited to ensure that the correct rock was being quarried, and that the best samples of rocks were chosen in terms of their fabric, structures and mineralogy.

A key deliverable of the project was to display the rocks so as to accommodate a range of educational activities that would allow geology, physical geography and atmospheric sciences to be studied in terms of past geological time, present day processes, and future events. Thus, a number of rock areas have been delineated that independently relate particular earth sciences concepts. For example, Miocene-aged cool temperate limestone from southeastern Australia is juxtaposed against Early Cretaceous sub-polar fluvial sandstone that is rich in dinosaur fossils, mammal bones and woody debris. The far western portion of the MESG includes 8,000 year old scoria, agglutinate and volcanic bombs sourced from western Victoria that represents Victoria’s rich recent volcanic history. In addition, the individual rock areas can be used in an integrated manner to allow interpretation of a multi-phase, geological history narrative that spans hundreds of millions of years.

The MESG officially opened in September 2015 and is already being used extensively by undergraduates of the SEAE. The MESG is also fully integrated with the SEAE Outreach Strategy for secondary schools, and we have developed a series of ‘hands-on’ activities targeting Year 8–10 students in the ‘Earth and Space Sciences’ and ‘Geography’ subject areas of the Australian National Curriculum.