Connecting people with science, nature, and one another
Dr. Karen Privat & Dr. Rhiannon Kuchel, Electron Microscope Unit, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre
Colourised micrographs of samples collected from community gardens for the Micro World of Gardening project.
Community Gardens provide valuable settings for connecting people with science, nature and one another, yet many of the microscopic processes underlying gardening remain invisible.
Our project the 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 aimed to bridge art, gardening and science by creating engaging microscopy-based outreach materials for Community Gardens Australia. Samples of pollen, insects, soil and plant material were collected from four community gardens and the UNSW Kensington campus.
More than 70 samples were prepared and imaged using five scanning electron microscopes under varied beam conditions selected according to sample characteristics. The resulting micrographs revealed the hidden structures and biological detail associated with everyday gardening materials, including pollen grains, and were developed form educational activities, websites and social media.
The project provided opportunities for direct engagement with community gardeners through an educational microscopy workshop hosted by Canterbury-Bankstown Council and supported broader public engagement with microscopy.
A dandelion pollen micrograph was selected as a finalist in the 2025 Clancy Art Competition and was subsequently included in planned national microscopy outreach materials.
By making microscopic structures visible and visually compelling, this initiative increased opportunities for public engagement with science and encouraged deeper appreciation of the biological systems that support gardening.
For more information about the project see:
- Secret Gardens: revealing the enchanting unseen through scanning electron microscopy ACMM29_Karen_PRIVAT
- UNSW Science External Engagement 2025; The Enchanted Garden Kuchel & Privat – FOS Study Report
- Secret Gardens: gardening at the microscale Privat – NSW Community Growing Conference 2026
