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Young botanists

Botanical Selfies: Joshua Ajowele

Dr M says: It’s always a pleasure to introduce a young botanist to these pages and it is a total delight to introduce Joshua Ajowele who joined the MSc Plant Diversity at the University of Reading in September 2019.  Joshua is one of those special people who walks into the room and immediately makes an impact, he is a gifted scientist and botanist and
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Dr M speaking at London’s Garden Museum Summer Science Showcase

On Tues 25 June science teachers have been invited to explore London’s Garden Museum learning zone, and find out about the plant science resources and activities they can offer at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. The aim is to inspire young people to get involved with plant science within a fascinating and unique museum setting on the banks of the river Thames, opposite
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Fascination with smelly plants!

Fascination of Plants Day is an International celebration of plants, it is a whole series of events all about plants which happens every second year.  The aim is to get as many people as possible around the world fascinated by plants and enthused about the importance of plant science for agriculture, horticulture, forestry and the production of plant-based non-food products such as paper, timber,
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Botanical University Challenge: a precedent from Thailand!

Quite recently Dr M was fascinated to discover that the UK Botanical University Challenge, originally devised by Dr M and John Warren back in 2016, has a very esteemed tropical precedent. Dr M was chatting to new PhD student Mr. Nattanon Meeprom working with Alastair Culham in the School of Biological Sciences at University of Reading.  Very soon Dr M was amazed to learn
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Botanical University Challenge 2019!

YOUR STARTER FOR TEN: The first ever UK Botanical University Challenge took place at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, hosted by James Wong, on 10th March 2016 you can read more about it here.   FINGERS ON BUZZERS!   We are now getting very close to the second Challenge which takes place at the University of Reading on Wednesday 20th February 2019 and is the
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Dr M’s botanical selfies enter 2018 with young botanist Josh Styles!

The latest in this series of botanical selfies features Josh Styles, one of the emerging young generation of British botanists who are filling oldies like Dr M with hope for the future of UK botany! Dr M says: I first came across Josh as a contestant on the Edge Hill University team of the very first Botanical University Challenge which I organised with John
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Gatsby Plant Sciences Summer School 2016

Dr M is the University of Reading mentor for Gatsby Plant Science (part of the Gatsby Plant Science Education Programme at the University of Cambridge) and each year he selects three undergraduate science students on a competitive basis to attend the inspirational and potentially life-changing Gatsby Plants Summer School. The summer school (established by the University of Leeds in 2005) is a unique opportunity for first year BSc
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Possibly the youngest botanist in the country!

Last year Dr M posted botanical selfies here from two young botanists, George Garnett and Ryan Clark, this year sees the posting of a selfie from Reuben Nebbett-Blades who at just twelve years old could easily qualify as the youngest botanist in the country! And he’s certainly a dedicated field botanist this young chap, into the serious groups of plant groups like sedges and
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