Amelia Nurse visits children's author Bianca Begovich - along with her monarchs, children, chickens, and bees - to chat about her passion for teaching kids about the environment.
Bianca Begovich's books. Photo: Supplied
More about Bianca
Bianca Begovich Photo: RNZ/ Amelia Nurse
Bianca started out studying science – botany in particular. She studied the NZ native Kowhai plant for her Masters degree which took her out into the field from Titirangi in the north to Fiordland in the south. She’s always been interested in the natural world and how nature works, but the tramping she did during university really re-awakened her love for nature.
While she was studying, Bianca worked as a nanny, and went on after University to work for several NGO environmental education organisations. Writing and publishing children's stories about the environment is a natural culmination of two of her passions - children and the environment.
Bianca’s particularly interested in linking environmental education to other areas of the NZ curriculum and her background enables her to find links to make it easier for teachers and educators who might not have a science background to incorporate environmental education into their teaching.
Her writing incorporates us into the stories so that children can gain an understanding of the natural world and more importantly, the role they play in it. Rather than presenting facts and figures as many other stories do, creative non-fiction makes big issues like climate change and sustainability accessible to young readers without being too didactic.
Bianca has four more books coming out in 2016 published by CreateBooks
Bianca's Garden
