Press release
Plant Science Festival at the National Botanic Gardens
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
As part of Science Week, the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin are hosting a Plant Science Festival to investigate and celebrate plant science. One of the Office of Public Works' foremost heritage sites, the National Botanic Gardens will showcase the fascinating and diverse world of plants, from tiny seeds to towering trees, providing insights into how the science of plants have helped shape our world - and it’s all free!
Over the course of the week, a series of workshops, experiments and talks will bring the story of plants to life. Using plant science and evolution as a window to the past and as a key to our environmental future will be the central theme of festival keynote speaker Professor Liam Dolan’s speech on Friday, 18 November. Professor Dolan’s research uses genetics and fossils to understand how plants transformed from relatively simple algae to complex plants like trees around 450 million years ago and transformed the planet and its climate. He will present an interesting tour of plant life on Earth. Book tickets for the keynote.
Speaking ahead of the Plant Science Festival, Patrick O’Donovan, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, said:
“I’m delighted to see such an exciting lineup of events and engagement with plant science. Last May, we conducted research and found that over half of the population (56%) are unsure of how to help improve biodiversity, despite the overwhelming majority (90%) wanting to play their part in improving Irish biodiversity. We at the OPW launched a Biodiversity Action Strategy to improve biodiversity across our entire operations.
He added:
"The Botanic Gardens are such a special site of national importance to the State, it is great to see people coming to this plant science festival as part of Science Week, to understand the fundamental building blocks of our ecology and biodiversity."
The festival events throughout the week include a data capture exercise that will be running all week in the herbarium building. Short talks and demonstrations will be held at 2 pm and 3 pm each day, and Tours will be run each day from the Visitor Centre.
Friday the 18th will be a careers day to showcase some extraordinary plant science careers and to show some of the exciting research ongoing in this field. Secondary students and particularly TY students are welcome. You can book a time slot.
On Saturday the 19th there will be activities and technologies the whole family can enjoy, with experiments and botanical art workshops. Families will be encouraged to investigate how plant leaves adapt to the environment they are in.
The staff of the National Botanic Gardens will be delighted for you to join them on the Bark Life or Biomimicry tours, where all are welcome to come along and see what is happening. There will be something for everyone.
The OPW welcomes people to visit the National Botanic Gardens during the week of the festival for talks, demonstrations, tours, botanical art workshops, and interactive experiments.
For further information, please contact pressoffice@opw.ie or info@photocallireland.ie
Follow us on Twitter @opwireland
Find us on Facebook @opwireland
Follow us on Instagram @opwireland
Follow us on LinkedIn @Office of Public Works
Monday, 14 to Friday, 18 November, 10:00 to 16:00, Herbarium Building:
Data capture in the herbarium - interactive data capture and experiments.
Saturday, 19 November, 10:00 to 16:00, Gallery, Visitor Centre
Are Plants Afraid of Heights – Looking at the Response of Leaves to Height
Join staff in the National Botanic Gardens as we investigate how a tree gets water up to its leaves. We will be sending a climber up to collect leaves, which we will measure to see how trees deal with the dizzying heights of a canopy 30 metres above ground.
Saturday, 19 November, 10:00 to 16:00, Gallery, Visitor Centre
Plant Adaptation to Environment – leaf margin and temperature
This demonstration attempts to show plant adaptation to environmental cues by using the relationship between leaf margin in various plant species and their surrounding temperature.
Saturday, 19 November, hourly from 11:00 to 15:00, Gallery, Visitor Centre
Become a Tree in Virtual Reality. Try out a virtual reality experience. This engaging VR experience will bring you on a journey from seed to towering tree.
Demonstrations and Workshops
Daily in the Visitor Centre
Delve Deeper with microscopes
Explore the natural world with the eyes of a child and the aid of a microscope! Families, join us during Science Week for an insightful workshop exploring the natural world as you’ve never seen before.
Friday, 18 November, Gallery, Visitor Centre
Making Modern Papyrus: experiments with Irish materials and Egyptian techniques
We are delighted to welcome Jill Unkel, Curator of Western Collection and Kristine Rose-Beers, Head of Conservation at the Chester Beatty to show the process of making Papyrus. This demonstration is in association with First Fragments: Biblical Papyrus from Roman Egypt, an exhibition at the Chester Beatty (28 Oct 2022 –3 Sept 2023).
Saturday, 19 November, 11:00, maximum of 12 participants, Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture
Conserving Natural Heritage – Native Seed Workshop
Native seed workshops will be organised with local invited community groups and will be demonstrated by the tutors and students of Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture.
Saturday, 19 November, 11:00, maximum of 12 participants, Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture
Soil is Alive – Soil Fauna Workshop
This Soil Fauna Workshop will be undertaken with invited community groups and will be demonstrated by the tutors and students of Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture.
Tours
Thursday, 17 & Saturday 19 November at 14:00
Bark Life – A bark themed tour
Join us on a tour all about tree bark. The Bark Life tour will take you around the gardens to discover some interesting facts about bark and discover the many uses that people around the world have found for it.
Wednesday, 16 & Sunday, 20 November at 14:00
Biomimicry Themed Tour
Did you know that the idea for Velcro was sparked by a seed head? Can you guess which plants were responsible for the creation of waterproof paint? Join us on this fascinating tour and find out how scientists are inspired by nature to create ingenious new inventions.
Art Workshops
Friday, 18 November, 11:00, maximum of 12 participants, Gallery, Visitor Centre
Printing with Plants – Anthotype Workshop with Kasia Kaminska Book free tickets.
Kasia Kaminska will introduce the anthotype printing process, a sustainable photography process made with plants, paper and the sun. Participants will be given a brief introduction to the anthotype and its history as well as a step-by-step demonstration of the process – from gathering materials mindfully to preparing them for printing. Participants will take their prints away to expose their own handmade anthotype in the sun at home. All levels welcome.
Saturday, 19 November, 11:00 to 15:00, Gallery, Visitor Centre
Botanical Art Workshop, drop by workshop for children
Botanical artist Siobhan Larkin will be running a workshop during the day to give visitors an overview of the links between botanical art and scientific illustration. This will include a hands-on activity for children, getting them to observe in a more scientific way through the techniques of nature-based activities and botanical illustration.