Young scientists to provide snapshot of natural Britain
13 May 2009
From daisy and dandelion to garlic mustard and white campion, The Great Plant Hunt Week (15-22 May 2009) will see thousands of young scientists go in search of ten species of plants, recording when and where they flower. Monitoring when plants flower each year helps scientists to assess the effects of climate change.
The study is part of The Great Plant Hunt, commissioned and funded by the Wellcome Trust to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth.
The information collected will add to the decades of records held by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) and help the children to understand their role in appreciating and preserving their environment.
Professor Angela McFarlane, Director of Content and Learning for the RBG Kew, said: "As the next custodians of the natural world, the children involved in the project may well have to face some of the toughest environmental challenges ever. The Great Plant Hunt Week aims to jumpstart children's enthusiasm for science as they get involved with collecting real data 'in the field'."
The ten species featuring in The Great Plant Hunt Week range from the ubiquitous daisy and dandelion to garlic mustard and white campion. Three tree species are also included.
The full list: daisy (Bellis perennis), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), elder (Sambucus nigra), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), red clover (Trifolium pratense), selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), silver birch (Betula pendula), sorrel (Rumex acetosa), and white campion (Silene latifolia).
Two-and-a-half thousand primary schools from across the UK have already registered for The Great Plant Hunt. To see details about the schools that are taking part in the project, please visit The Great Plant Hunt website and click on 'Look who's plant hunting'.
Image: Sir David Attenborough at the launch of The Great Plant Hunt in March 2009. Credit: Wellcome Images