UKZN Shines at Sunday Tribune Garden Show

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UKZN won a Silver Gilt Certificate at the 2013 Sunday Tribune Garden Show maintaining its impressive record of success at the annual show.  The University stand, organised by the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, consistently walks away with the silverware at the Pietermartizburg’s Royal Agricultural Society’s two major annual events: the annual Royal Agricultural Show and the Garden Show.  

Stands are judged on a number of criteria including interpretation of theme, overall impression and technical competence.  With the judging panel led by a Chelsea Flower Show-trained expert, standards are rigorous and contestants come from as far afield as Cape Town.  

The theme of the 2013 Garden Show was: “Be Yourself”, and this year the UKZN stand featured the dietetics, zoology and marine biology programmes within the College.  

Whilst dietetics students from the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences created funky creatures from food and were on hand to give expert advice on how to eat a balanced diet; the School of Life Sciences’ Postgraduate Marine Biology group, MARVEL, provided the public with interesting and hands-on information on the rich and diverse world that exists under the sea.  This was complemented by a collection of marine skeletons on loan from the School’s zoological museum.

The judging panel said that they were impressed by the enthusiasm and knowledge of the UKZN students and their engagement with the public.   The stand was organised by College PRO, Ms Swasti Maney, with input from the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the School of Life Sciences.  ‘Without the support of the Schools, our show medal would have been impossible,’ said Maney.  ‘I am extremely grateful for their help.’ 

-Sally Frost