: Addysg

Mae Amgueddfa Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio gyda Ffoaduriaid a Cheiswyr Lloches, gan gefnogi pobl i integreiddio i’w cymunedau newydd, ers blynyddoedd lawer. 

Fel rhan o’r gwaith hwn, rydyn ni wedi datblygu partneriaethau gyda chyrff allweddol fel Addysg Oedolion Cymru. Maen nhw wedi bod yn gweithio gyda ni dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, ochr yn ochr â’u myfyrwyr ESOL (Saesneg ar gyfer siaradwyr ieithoedd eraill), i ddatblygu adnoddau newydd i ddysgwyr ESOL er mwyn cefnogi dysgwyr Saesneg i archwilio ein hamgueddfeydd a’n horielau. 

Mae’r adnoddau newydd yn cwmpasu Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau yn Abertawe, Amgueddfa Lechi Cymru yn Llanberis ac Amgueddfa Lleng Rufeinig Cymru yng Nghaerllion. 

Mae’r adnoddau wedi’u creu gan diwtoriaid Saesneg i ddysgwyr ac wedi eu profi gan ddysgwyr ESOL. Maen nhw’n dilyn cwricwlwm ESOL ac yn addas ar gyfer gwahanol lefelau, o Lefel Mynediad i Lefel 2. 

Erbyn hyn mae’r adnoddau newydd wedi’u profi, eu mireinio a’u treialu, ac maen nhw’n barod i’w lawrlwytho o’n gwefan i unrhyw ddysgwr neu grŵp ESOL sy’n ymweld ag un o’r amgueddfeydd (gweler y dolenni uchod). 

Mae gennym set o adnoddau ESOL hefyd ar gyfer Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru a gafodd eu datblygu mewn ffordd debyg fel rhan o Broject Creu Hanes a ariannwyd gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri yn 2014. 

Rydyn ni’n parhau i weithio gyda’n partneriaid ac aelodau o’r gymuned i ddarparu cyfleoedd ystyrlon i bobl sy’n wynebu rhwystrau i gymryd rhan yn y celfyddydau a threftadaeth ddiwylliannol.

Rydyn ni’n dysgu cymaint gan y bobl sy’n ymweld â’n safleoedd ac sy’n derbyn y cyfleoedd dysgu rydyn ni’n eu cynnig. 

Mae helpu pobl sydd newydd gyrraedd Cymru i ymgartrefu ac integreiddio i’w cymunedau newydd yn faes pwysig iawn o’n gwaith a gobeithio y bydd yr adnoddau newydd hyn i ddysgwyr yn gymorth i lawer o bobl ar y daith honno. 

Diolch yn fawr i Addysg Oedolion Cymru a’r tiwtoriaid a dysgwyr Saesneg sydd wedi cyfrannu at greu’r adnoddau newydd hyn i ddysgwyr. 

Hi Bulb Buddies,

I hope it’s been a lovely, sunny start to May where you are.  The weather is getting warmer, and the days are getting longer. Here are a few things you can do to care for nature in May:

Go on a nature walk

Take a walk in your local park, woods, or countryside. Observe the different types of trees, flowers, and insects you come across. You could even take a notebook to draw and write about what you see. Why not practice mindfulness while you are outdoors, and really listen, look, smell and feel your surroundings. This Mindful Tour resource is developed for the gardens at St Fagans National Museum of History, but it contains some fantastic tips that can be applied to any mindful walk. 

Plant a garden

You don't need a big garden to grow plants. You could plant flowers in a pot or even in an old shoe! Why not create an up-cycled plant pot? You could do some research into pollinators to see which plants best support them. Pollinators like bees and butterflies are essential to the survival of plants and ecosystems but they are under threat because of habitat loss, climate change and pollution. Schools that entered weather and flower data to the Amgueddfa Cymru website will receive seeds that will help to support pollinators. 

Be mindful of water

Water is essential for all living things, but we should try to conserve it. Some ways you could do this are by turning off the tap while you brush your teeth, taking shorter showers or re-using water from the washing-up to water your plants! You can also help nature by making sure there is water in your garden or school grounds, such as in the form of a small pond or a birdbath. The bird spotting sheets on the right can help you to identify any common garden birds you might see. 

No Mow May

Some of you may have heard of the campaign #NoMowMay where people are asked to not mow sections of their garden this month to help wildlife. You may notice more areas that are left to grow wild over the coming weeks, and this campaign may be why. Be mindful of these spaces and the wild plants, insects and animals that might be making them their home. There are some areas that will adopt this approach throughout the summer, and councils are being encouraged to follow suit and leave safe spaces for wildlife. Maybe you could ask your school if they will support this by leaving an area of the grounds un-mowed? Maybe you could plant any pollinator seeds you receive for taking part in the Spring Bulbs for Schools Investigation in this space? 

There are many other small actions that can be taken to make a difference to our local spaces. Why not share any further ideas you have for exploring or conserving nature in the comments section below? Remember, every action helps when it comes to protecting our planet. So, get outside, explore, have fun, and make a difference! 

Professor Plant

Hi Bulb Buddies, 

Many of you may be wondering what to do with your plants now that they have flowered. You don't need to trim your plant or re-plant your bulb until at least seven weeks after it has flowered. Leave your plants outside in the sunshine, as this allows the bulb to continue storing energy for the following year. 

Once your bulb has flowered you may wish to take it home, plant it in your school or even re-use your pot to grow something else. Read through the instructions below to decide how you would like to look after your bulb.

Keep your bulb in your pot

• Trim back the leaves. 

• Store your pot outside and out of the way until the following spring, when your flowers will start to grow again! Make sure your soil doesn’t dry out over the summer by watering when required.

Empty your pot

• Trim back the leaves. 

• Empty your pot onto some newspaper and look for your bulbs. 

• Shake them to remove any excess soil.

• Inspect your bulbs, only keep the ones that are look healthy and are of a good size. Discard those that are soft or rotten. Every few years bulbs double. When they double two bulbs will be joined together. If this is the case, pull them away from one another very carefully. When they are doubling, they make fewer flowers because they are putting their energy into making more bulbs. By separating them you should get more flowers. 

Plant your bulbs in your garden or school

• Follow the instructions on how to empty your pot.

• Find an area to plant the bulbs, choose a sunny or lightly shaded position. 

• Dig a hole for each bulb that is twice as deep as the height of your bulb and make sure the shoot is pointing upwards and the roots downwards.

• Plant each bulb two or three bulb widths apart.

• Your bulbs should now flower year after year. Inspect the bulbs and divide any doubles every three years to increase flowering. 

• You could now re-use your pot to plant a summer herb or flower. You may receive some seeds for taking part in the investigation that could be planted in your pots. 

Dry out your bulbs and store them until the following autumn

• If you don’t have a garden and you want to use your plant pot to grow something else you may wish to dry out your bulbs and store them over the summer.

• Follow the instructions on how to empty your pot.

• Lay bulbs on a tray or newspaper to dry for 1 week. Place in a labelled paper bag and store in a cool place until they are ready to plant again in November.

There are a number of options to choose from here. Hopefully you will be able to enjoy your plants again next Spring.

Professor Plant

Mae'r gwanwyn wedi cyrraedd Cyfeillion,

Rwy'n siŵr ein bod ni i gyd wedi sylwi ar arwyddion y gwanwyn, gan gynnwys planhigion crocws a chennin Pedr yn blodeuo'n llawn! Ydych chi erioed wedi meddwl am pam mae'r planhigion yma yn eu blodeuo, a sut fedrwn ni gwybod pryd maent wedi blodeuo? Gadewch i ni archwilio hyn gyda'n gilydd

Mae'r cennin Pedr a'r crocws yn blanhigyn bylbyn, sy'n golygu eu bod yn tyfu o fylbiau yn y ddaear. Mae'r bylbiau hyn yn cadw egni tan mae’n amser i’r planhigion dyfu. Mae'r bylbiau’n cysgu yn ystod y gaeaf ac yn dechrau tyfu wrth i'r tywydd cynhesu, sef pryd mae’r dail cyntaf yn dangos o'r pridd. Mae'r dail yn ymddangos yn gyntaf fel y gall gynhyrchu bwyd i'r planhigyn trwy ffotosynthesis, proses sy’n defnyddio egni o'r haul i droi carbon deuocsid a dŵr mewn i siwgr ac ocsigen. Mae'r planhigion yn defnyddio'r siwgr yma fel bwyd, i ddarparu egni at barhau tyfu ac i ail-lenwi eu bwlb hefo egni ar gyfer y gaeaf canlynol. 

Gallwch weld pryd mae'r planhigion hyn wedi blodeuo drwy chwilio am eu blodau. Fel arfer, mae gan gennin Pedr coesyn hir hefo un blodyn melyn o siâp trymped, tra bod gan y crocws flodau llai o siâp cwpan, sy'n dod mewn amrywiaeth o liwiau fel porffor, gwyn, a melyn. Mae'r blodau lliwgar, disglair hyn yn denu pryfed fel gwenyn a phili-pala. Mae paill y blodau yn glynu wrth y pryfed yma, fel bod nhw’n dosbarthu hyn i flodau gwahanol. Mae peilliad yn digwydd pan fydd paill o ran wrywaidd blodyn (y brigeryn) yn cael ei drosglwyddo i ran fenywaidd blodyn (y pistil). Unwaith y bydd hyn wedi digwydd, gall y blodyn gynhyrchu hadau.

Ar ôl i'r planhigion blodeuo a'r hadau gael eu cynhyrchu, mae'r planhigion yn dechrau marw yn ôl. Yna bydd ein bylbiau bach yn  orffwys eto, tan y tymor tyfu nesaf.

Mae rhai ysgolion wedi rhannu bod eu planhigion wedi blodeuo. Gallwch weld pa ysgolion sydd wedi anfon cofnodion blodeuo drwy edrych ar fap y prosiect a'r graffiau blodau. Cofiwch, gallwch hefyd edrych ar ganlyniadau o flynyddoedd blaenorol i gymharu. Beth am edrych i weld os yw eich ysgol wedi cymryd rhan yn y prosiect o'r blaen?

Rwyf wedi atodi'r adnodd Cadw Cofnodion Blodau i'r dde o'r dudalen. Mae hwn yn edrych ar sut i gymryd mesuriadau uchder eich planhigion a sut i ddweud pryd mae’r blodyn wedi agor yn llwyr. Mae’n hefyd yn rhestru adnoddau sef ar y wefan, fel taflenni i enwi rhannau o blanhigion.

Gofynnwn ichi nodi'r dyddiad mae eich planhigyn yn blodeuo a'r taldra ar y dyddiad hwnnw. Cofiwch, gofynnwn am fesuriadau yn filimedrau. Os byddwch yn cofnodi eich uchder mewn centimetr mewn camgymeriad, bydd hyn yn dangos ar y wefan mewn milimedrau. Bydd hyn yn golygu bod cennin Pedr o 15cm yn dangos fel 15mm (1.5cm)!

Rwyf wedi atodi darluniau botanegol a anfonwyd i ni gan ysgolion yn y blynyddoedd blaenorol. Beth am astudio eich planhigion a chreu llun o be welwch? Gall fod yn ddiddorol i wneud darluniau o'ch planhigion yn rheolaidd, i weld sut maent yn newid dros amser.

Rydym wedi gwylio ein planhigion o'r bwlb i'r blodyn. Rwyf wedi gweld o'r sylwadau bod llawer ohonoch yn frwd o'r newidiadau yr ydych wedi'u gweld. Rwyf wedi atodi taflen i greu llyfr Origami sy'n archwilio bywyd bwlb. Mae yna fersiwn lliw a fersiwn i liwio eich hun.

Rydym yn yr wythnos olaf o gasglu data tywydd. Gofynnwn i ysgolion cofnodi eu holl ddata tywydd i'r wefan erbyn 31 Mawrth. Os yw eich planhigion wedi blodeuo, cofnodwch eich data blodau erbyn 31 Mawrth. Os nad yw eich planhigion wedi blodeuo eto, plîs rhowch wybod i ni yn y sylwadau. Mae canllaw pellach am hyn yn yr adnodd ‘Cadw Cofnodion Blodau’.

Plîs rhannwch luniau drwy e-bost neu Twitter, mae’n hyfryd gweld y planhigion yn blodeuo. Plîs rhannwch eich syniadau am y prosiect yn y bwlch sylwadau wrth gofnodi data, a rhowch wybod beth ydych yn meddwl yw’r bylbiau dirgel!

Parhewch â'r gwaith da Cyfeillion y Gwanwyn,

Athro'r Ardd a Bwlb Bychan

If you are visiting St. Fagans this month you will notice an army of gardeners and volunteers marching around the gardens with wheelbarrows full of organic matter to condition the soil of our beautiful gardens. As winter comes to an end, spring arrives with a promise of growth. This is a crucial moment in the gardening calendar to prepare for the warmer months ahead. 

Because of the over-emittance of greenhouse gases, the Earth’s surface temperature is increasing rapidly. We are noticing summer months that are hotter and drier than ever, only last year we witnessed temperatures around 40°C in some areas of the UK. The excessive heat and prolonged drought have devastating effects on our local flora and fauna. 

One of the most important tasks for this month is to mulch the soil by adding a layer of organic matter to the soil surface. Mulching brings numerous benefits to plants including moisture retention in periods of drought, weed suppression, improvement of soil structure and fertility, reducing the need for artificial fertilisers, prevention of soil erosion, and encouragement of beneficial organisms such as earthworms, soil bacteria and fungi. Additionally, it attracts wildlife to our gardens, one of my favourite memories is of being followed by Robins as we mulch the garden in spring. They patiently wait for a feast of earthworms, while gifting us with their beautiful bird song announcing the arrival of spring. 

There are many different types of mulching materials and each with their own benefits and uses. Most of our gardens are mulched with well-rotted farmyard manure sourced from Llwyn-yr-eos farm in St. Fagans and from a local farmer. The manure is gradually incorporated into the soil by the activity of earthworms and other microorganisms, which improves the soil structure and supplies the plants with nutrients. This nitrogen rich material is ideal to be used on herbaceous borders, vegetable beds, roses and newly planted trees and shrubs.

However not all plants like nutrient rich mulches, plants that are adapted to growing in hot and dry conditions often do not cope well with excessive moisture and high fertility. For example, in the Herb Garden where we have Mediterranean plants such as lavender, rosemary, sage and thyme we have opted for mulching the beds with gravel. This is an inorganic material that does not break down; therefore it does not release nutrients to the soil. In addition, gravel is great at promoting good drainage, suppressing weeds, and adding aesthetic value to the garden.  

This year we are trying new methods of mulching as a sustainable way to utilise the maximum of our local resources. We have started using raw wool provided by the Llwyn-yr-Eos farm to mulch the vines in the greenhouse. This will help with water conservation and prevention of weeds. Besides the wool fleece degrades slowly releasing nutrients into the soil and feeding the vines. Another advantage is that wool can help retain heat during colder months, keeping the root of the vines warm in winter. 

In March we cut back the ornamental grasses and perennials of the Dutch garden and a large amount of material usually ends up in the compost heap. This year we decided to skip this process and instead we added the dried grass clippings directly to the surface of the pumpkin patch. We have sprinkled a fine layer of manure on top to weigh down the grasses and prevent them from blowing in the wind. This will also aid the process of decomposition by introducing nitrogen to this carbon rich material.  While the farmers make hay for a rainy day, the gardeners mulch with hay for a hotter day.

When choosing mulches or growing mediums for your garden, prefer materials from sustainable and local sources in order reduce the carbon footprint from transportation. It is also important to avoid peat-based composts at all costs. The extraction of peat has a negative impact in the environment, it destroys the natural habitat of many species that live in peatlands, besides it releases tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere contributing to the greenhouse effect. 
For the home gardener the most sustainable and cost-effective option is to mulch using homemade compost or leaf mould. Why not try making your own compost using kitchen and garden waste? You will be surprised at the benefits you can reap from your compost heap.