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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If you love plants and especially house plants then the @mygreenstudy project is for you as it’s all about houseplants! My Green Study is a student-led initiative for those who share an appreciation and interest in houseplants. It has recently launched Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages aiming to create a community of fellow houseplant enthusiasts! The @MyGreenStudy team is led by Dr Alastair Culham and includes a team of
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Christmas is coming and in his final appearance in this years botanical extravaganza celebrating 50 years of Reading Botany Dr M is presenting the University of Reading Christmas lecture on the festive botanical topic of Christmas trees! The event is fully booked now, with standing and dangling room only (fire regs permitting!). For those of you who can’t make it, and even those of you
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Dr M has been busy enjoying imparting botanical wisdom to his latest cohort of MSc students on the MSc Plant Diversity and MSc SISS at University of Reading with his signature module Vegetation Survey and Assessment which started early October. The module spans 20 week through autumn and spring terms sand by week 4 of the autumn term Dr M’s students have been introduced
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After months of planning, a highlight of the Reading Botany year arrived and the Reunion Party took place on Saturday 27 July in the aptly named Meadow Suite at the University of Reading. The organising committee were delighted to welcome over 150 botanical alumni comprising past and present staff, technicians, BSc, MSc and Phd students for what was always going to be a wonderfully
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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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A golden anniversary cedar-infused ale celebrating Reading Botany 2019 has just been produced and is available at University of Reading’s Park House bar and at the Reading Botany 2019 events! The idea of an anniversary ale was the brainchild of Dr M who, in the summer of 2018, noticed bespoke beers occasionally being produced for conferences, anniversaries or other celebrations and he thought why
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As part of the University of Reading British Science Week outreach activities Dr M and colleagues Oli Wilson, Alex Dean and Katie Cooper hosted an event for local families addressing this aromatic question! As Dr M pointed out to the attendees, this event also forms part of Reading Botany 2019, a year-long series of events celebrating 50 years botany masters teaching at Reading and over
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Ever trod on a plant, caught a whiff of its smell and wondered: why do plants smell? Well, wonder no more, Dr M has just the thing for you: the University of Reading “Why are plants smelly” outreach project – part of University of Reading’s (UoR) contribution to British Science Week (March 2019) and 5th International “Fascination of Plants Day” (May 2019). These events also
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Your starter for ten and no conferring: what is the closest score line you can imagine for Botanical University Challenge?! Well read on to find out! On Wednesday 20 February 2019 the second ever Botanical University Challenge in the UK was held at the University of Reading. Six intrepid botanical teams travelled to Reading for a botanical contest in the style of the well-known
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