Fascination of Plants Day comes to Dundee

“Fascination of Plants Day is a great opportunity to share with the general public the scale and depth of the excellent research being carried out in the field of plant sciences right here in Dundee.

To celebrate international Fascination of Plants Day on 18 May 2013, the Botanic Garden, the James Hutton Institute and the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee be hosting a fun-filled day of activities, focusing on the amazing range and diversity of plant-life on our planet.

The full day of events will be held at the Botanic Gardens in Dundee and includes the hugely popular Botanic Garden Trail, an opportunity to help plant the new Genetics Garden, DNA extraction from plants and for the artistically-inclined some Plant Hammering (yes, it’s as much fun as it sounds!). Researchers from the University of Dundee and the James Hutton Institute will also be there throughout the day to answer all your questions about the fascinating world of plants!

Professor Robbie Waugh of the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee Division of Plant Sciences is the driving force behind bringing this international event to Dundee for the first time.

Professor Waugh said: “Fascination of Plants Day is a great opportunity to share with the general public the scale and depth of the excellent research being carried out in the field of plant sciences right here in Dundee. This event is truly cross-institutional – with the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee’s College of Life Sciences and Botanic Garden working to bring together kids, families, researchers, teachers and artists to understand and celebrate the fascinating plant life on our planet.

“We are also delighted to be participating in this international event for the first time, placing Dundee on the map of plant sciences research and public outreach activity. We hope to make this is an annual event as part of the worldwide programme which, since its inception last year, has grown to include 54 countries across six continents and more than 60 participating organisations in the UK.”

The international Fascination of Plants Day is coordinated in the UK by the UK Plant Sciences Federation (UKPSF), a Special Interest Group of the Society of Biology. The main focus of Fascination of Plants Day is to celebrate the importance of plants in our lives and landscapes.

Dr Mimi Tanimoto, Executive Officer of the UKPSF says: “Plants are fundamental to our existence, providing us with food, fuel, medicines, plastics, fibres, paper and building materials. We hope that Fascination of Plants Day will inspire people to appreciate the world of diverse plant life and its importance in sustaining a healthy population.”

Fascination of Plants Day covers all plant-related topics including plant science, agriculture, horticulture, environmental conservation, climate change mitigation, smart bioproducts, biodiversity, sustainability, renewable resources, gardening, forestry, plant breeding, crop protection, food, nutrition, education and art.