A rare opportunity to discover and draw inspiration from Charles Darwin’s childhood garden is being offered by University Centre Shrewsbury (UCS) and Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

People are invited to take part in a unique study day in Shrewsbury on Tuesday 22 March 2016, focused on the childhood garden of the English naturalist whose theory of natural selection became the foundation of modern evolutionary studies.

Currently being restored by Shropshire Wildlife Trust, the garden is the site that sparked Darwin’s boyhood imagination and his lifelong curiosity about the natural world.

A series of workshops and talks, from 9.30am to 4.30pm, will give people the chance to explore the formative influence of the garden on Darwin’s young mind.

The activities will be spread between the garden at The Mount and nearby Guildhall, UCS’s learning and research base at Frankwell Quay.

Dr Jude Piesse, Lecturer in English at UCS, said:

“We’re inviting people to explore the garden and see how it influenced Darwin’s passionate interest in the natural world.

“The day will include talks and workshops with experts in the field, including a garden historian, academics from UCS and specialists from Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

“Opportunities will also be provided to contribute to ongoing horticultural and restoration work, to develop creative responses to the garden, and to contribute ideas for the site’s future development.”

Admission is a suggested donation of £10 on the day. All proceeds will go to the restoration of the garden.

For further details or to book a place please email j.piesse@chester.ac.uk.

Alternatively, people can visit the information point at Guildhall, Frankwell Quay, which is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4pm on Fridays or Rowley’s House at Barker Street, on Wednesdays between 11am and 2pm.

For further details on UCS events go to: www.ucshrewsbury.ac.uk/public-events.