Gardening expert Carol Klein honoured by The University of Northampton

The ceremonies took place at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton (12 February 2012).

Carol received her Fellowship at the 2.30pm ceremony for the School of Education in recognition of her work in promoting environmentally responsible horticulture. She commented:

This is a huge honour and totally unexpected. The University of Northampton is such an important and well respected institution that it makes this award all the more special.

The knowledge I present on the BBC and in my books is built upon learning that is centuries old. I think it is so important that people want and are able to share this…

What you do broadens our perception of the world and I hope that those of you who do become teachers (and go into other professions) will be passing this enthusiasm onto the world. The decisions we make affect the world we live in and the education we possess is never lost.  You’ll always be gaining in your knowledge and I encourage you to approach this with lots of enthusiasm, lots of love and lots of joy!

Carol Klein

In 2009, The University of Northampton’s Dr Jeff Ollerton (Reader in Biodiversity, School of Science and Technology) appeared on the Gardeners’ World ‘Science in the Garden’ special with Carol, discussing his work on flower biology and pollinator conservation. He added:

This award is a celebration of Carol’s contribution to promoting horticulture for more than 20 years and in particular her championing of environmentally responsible gardening that recognises the value of our native wildlife. The University is delighted that she has accepted our invitation to become an Honorary Fellow.

Dr Jeff Ollerton