We are launching our summer of PLANT garden science this Sunday!
During each of the four Sunday summer sessions we will transform into citizen scientists to have fun learning a little about our garden’s secret life and how to help it flourish. The observations we collect will also help UK scientists answer important research questions.
All sessions run on Sunday afternoons, 2-4pm at Tayport Community Garden and include refreshments. And plenty of enjoyment for the whole family!
Our Gardener, Peter, will be at hand to answer any of the relevant gardening questions.
Please note that similar sessions will be run at the summer kids club on Wednesdays – details coming soon.
Sunday 25 June, 2-4 pm
Garden Soil Bacteria with Nicola Stanley-Wall, a scientists from the University of Dundee
Did you know that a single teaspoon of healthy garden soil can hold up to one billion bacteria? Bring a sample to the Tayport Community Garden to learn about your own soil bacteria and help scientists from the University of Dundee solve mysteries of soil bacterial communities.
IMPORTANT: Bring a sample of 2 tablespoons of your garden soil or well-rotted compost in a sandwich bag for analysis.
Sunday 2 July, 2-4 pm
Bumblebee Watch with Blooms for Bees
Furry, brightly-coloured and instantly recognisable, bumblebees are icons of the British summer, and they also contribute a huge amount to the British economy through pollinating crops. But they’re in trouble.
Bumblebees are declining across the country (we’ve already lost two species), and to better understand the reasons why, scientists need data – lots of data – on where we can find the remaining bees, how many there are and what they’re doing.
Blooms for Bees is one of a number of citizen science projects aimed at gathering the much needed data, while promoting and improving gardening for bumblebees.
Join us to have a go at Blooms for Bees survey – exploring which bumblebee species visit Tayport Community Garden, and discovering which flowers are bumblebee favourites. You will learn how to identify common bumblebees, how to conduct bee surveys in your own garden and how to help bees by creating bumblebee-friendly spaces.
More information on Blooms for Bees at their project website: http://www.bloomsforbees.co.uk/
Sunday 23 July, 2-4 pm
Garden Soil Bacteria with Nicola Stanley-Wall, a scientists from the University of Dundee (REPEAT of the above)
Sunday, 6th of August, 2-4pm
Big Butterfly Count with Butterfly Conservation
The big butterfly count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies. In 2017 the Count takes place between 14 July and 6 August.
Butterflies react very quickly to change in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators. Butterfly declines are an early warning for other wildlife losses.
That’s why counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature.
The count will also assist scientists in identifying trends in species that will help plan how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understand the effect of climate change on wildlife.
During the session we will learn how to identify common butterflies, do some butterfly spotting, and share tips on making your garden butterfly friendly. You will also learn how you can contribute to other butterfly citizen science projects in your own garden.
IMPORTANT: The butterfly spotting session will only be possible if the weather is suitable for butterflies (bright day with little wind).
More information on Big Butterfly Count: http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/
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