Unit 09 - Seeds of Art

A seed represents the beginning of botanical life. Australian rainforest plants produce a dazzling and diverse array of seeds with vibrant colours, textures and forms. Seeds are a major source of food for animals as well as human beings and many rainforest seeds are beautiful and intriguing to handle and examine. Rainforest seeds are also a source of art and design.

Rainforests have always stirred people’s imagination. Rainforest fruit and seeds are used to enhance young children’s imaginative capacities and to introduce them to the incredible diversity of seed forms to be found in a local forest. Over 2,500 different plant species representing 630 plant genera from 150 plant families produce seeds in Australian tropical rainforests. Each plant produces a unique seed.

This unit concentrates on developing young children’s creativity and understanding of design concepts using locally collected forest seeds. The Wet Tropics contain a vast diversity of seeds available from which to create imaginative art.