On Wednesday, 24 May, Year 10 students of the Cambridge Programme visited the Jevremovac Botanical Garden, located in the city centre. This Belgrade oasis was the location of an unforgettable outdoor biology lesson immensely enjoyed by Savremena’s students.
Vegetation island in city centre
The Jevremovac Botanical Garden, a unit of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Belgrade, was founded in 1874 upon the decision of the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Serbia and at the proposal of its founder and manager, Josif Pančić.
This open-space, asphalt-bound vegetation island contains around 350 species of local, European and exotic trees and bushes, and over 1500 herbaceous plants. As one of the oldest and most sumptuous gardens in the world, it is a category II natural monument, also protected as a cultural monument.
New lessons to be long-remembered
The significance of the botanical garden allowed Savremena’s students to temporarily leave their classrooms and acquire new knowledge on the location spreading over 5 hectares.
During the walk around the garden, the students revised what they had learnt in biology lessons and saw how one complex ecosystem could survive at the heart of the biggest and most populous city in Serbia. They got to know the magical world of plants, discovering the secrets of their classification, morphology, distribution, as well as the ways of adapting to life in various conditions.
In the greenhouse under the central dome, there is a lavish and sumptuous world of tropical rainforest plants, part of the “Tropics” exhibition in Belgrade, which amazed our students who witnessed the opulence of 1000 different tropical, subtropical and Mediterranean species of herbaceous and woody plants.
The students were also able to see the diverse world of water plants at the “Water gardens” section, which also depicts the world of deserts, sand, rocks and sun, the immeasurable beauty and wonderful metamorphoses of plants that grow in the north wing of this greenhouse.
A piece of the land of the rising sun in Belgrade
A true feast for the eyes of Savremena’s students was the Japanese garden, where they discovered the simplicity and harmony of the Japanese art of organising space.
The students were surprised by numerous water plants and tadpoles swimming in the Japanese garden lake. What they found particularly interesting was the fact that the engineers managed to pull water from a depth of 90 metres, so that the lake would appear as natural as possible.
Outdoor lessons – students’ favourites
Discovering the secrets of the flora from different regions of our planet and taking a walk through lush vegetation, Savremena’s students enjoyed the exceptional air of this urban oasis, aptly called “the lungs of the capital”.
Savremena’s students found the visit to the Botanical garden appealing, and they returned to school not only amazed at the beauty of the garden’s flora, but also with an abundance of new knowledge regarding the magical life of plants. Savremena International School has once again proven that it cherishes a different approach, allowing students to learn through fun and enjoyment.
