Like Australia. It's all about bums on seats. There's already a short fall of graduates - plant science majors walk straight into jobs

Links to petitions for the suspended courses in Biosciences, University of Nottingham: Plant Biology c.org/d8PQr9Rd9Z Food Science & Nutrition c.org/Tp7gQBgYwD Agriculture c.org/CDkdk95LxZ Microbiology c.org/YXLh57RZyy

Latest issue newsletter of Botanical University Challenge now on our website. Read all about the incredibly tense 2025 competition semi-finals and final.Then relax with the student Botany Festival. The Vegetable Orchestra. Workshops. Garden visits. botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/the-thymes/

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🧪🌳🐝The amazing team names are a feature of Botanical University Challenge. Where do they come from? Team Pain in the Grass from University of Portsmouth explain in latest issue newsletter The Thymes. #BUC2026 botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/the-thymes/

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🧪🌳🐝What was the Third Student Botany Festival like? See the highlights video on our YouTube channel! Lively, informative, scientific, FUN! www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmfO... #BUC2025 #plants #loveplants

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🌳🌿🐝What do students who participated in Botanical University Challenge think of it? And, if you are a university student in the UK or Ireland keen on plants, why should you participate in BUC2026? Listen to their own words on YouTube! www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8vX...

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🧪🌳🐝🌿🌳🍅🍞🥦Botanical University Challenge to inspire the next generation of botanists. University of Nottingham, UK, plans to close Plant Biology for new students from autumn 2026. Current students want to know more. Read more here: www.change.org/p/reconsider...

Appalling

This is exactly what the country needs in the upcoming decades as climate change really starts to decimate agriculture worldwide, fewer experts on plants. We are in the age of stupidity.

Really stupid decision.

Botanical University Challenge #BUC2026 is starting! For teams of degree students at UK and Irish univerities or Botanical institutions. Team from University of Nottingham already signed up! First rounds February 2026. @suzieoftraken.bsky.social @herbarium.bsky.social @drmgoeswild.bsky.social

🌱🌾🌺🌷🌿🌍🪳 Result of team name competition announced at Botanical University Challenge 2025. Winner was Team 'Plantastic Five', University College Dublin. Runner-up Team 'Pain in the Grass', University of Portsmouth. All teams think of such great names! @drmgoeswild.bsky.social

🌱🌾🌺🌷🌿🌍🪳 Student Amy Beach, studying Plant and Soil Science at University of Aberdeen - and in team winning Botanical University Challenge #BUC2025 - on what got her into Botany. Influence of father, gardening and being around nature. @drmgoeswild.bsky.social

🌱🌾🌍🌏🌎🌳🌿🌲 What better way to explore a glasshouse full of exotic plants than with one of its curators? Part of workshop at Third Student Botany Festival 2025 in Cambridge University Botanic Garden @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social @drmgoeswild.bsky.social #BUC2025

🌱🌾🌺🏵️🌳🌿🌏 Amazing number of enthusiastic students keen on #botany at Third Student Botany Festival; 94 from UK and Ireland. Thinking about #careerswithplants & here listening to @cieem.bsky.social @bsbicountries.bsky.social @spun.earth @drmgoeswild.bsky.social #BUC2025

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🧪🌳🐝 What was the result of Botanical University Challenge #BUC2025? 31 teams from UK and Ireland entered. Final overall winner was amazing team from University of Aberdeen who led in almost all the rounds. Runner-up was University of Plymouth team, so close behind.

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄 #BUC2025 Final contest for 2025 champions in Botanical University Challenge coming up soon - 20 August! Who will ask the questions? Who will win? Streamed YouTube www.youtube.com/@BotanicalUn... All earlier rounds there already!

🌱🌲🌻🌾🌿🧪 #BUC2025 Botanical University Challenge 2025. See more about the 4 amazing teams in the semifinal - Reading, Aberdeen, Eden Project University Centre, Plymouth - and what they are studying. Which one will be the overall winner? Watch YouTube from 13:30 BST Weds 20 August.

A really fun way to get involved with plant science! Good luck to all the finalists, we will see you there!

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🌿31 teams entered Botanical University Challenge 2025 - and 4 are left for the semifinal on 20 August. Get ready to discover which is the final winner!

🌱🌾🌍🧪🍄🌺🥕Something different to do with vegetables; instead of a meal, make musical instruments! Activity at the 3rd Student Botany Festival in Cambridge University Botanic Garden 20 August. @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social

Botanical University Challenge #BUC2025, supported by many organisations to bring this contest together. We are also grateful to the many individuals who have generously given their time and expertise. @slcuplants.bsky.social @newphyt.bsky.social @biologists.bsky.social

🌱🌾🌍🧪🌿🍄🌺🐝 Botanical University Challenge semifinal & final #BUC2025 includes The Wall, where teams put 16 plant names into 4 groups, with reason for each. Try one at puzzgrid.com/grid/98717 See University of York team doing it in 2024. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrNw...

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🐝Remember 13:30 BST Wednesday 20 August - the semifinal and final of Botanical University Challenge 2025 start! Teams of students from Universities of Aberdeen, Reading. Plymouth and the Eden Project University Centre. Streamed live on YouTube!! #BUC2025

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🌿🧪🐝 Final Botanical University Challenge 2025 this Wednesday 20 August, starting live-stream 13:30 BST from @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social 4 teams - Unis Aberdeen, Reading, Plymouth & Eden Project University Centre. Which will win??

🌱🌾🌼🌴🍂🍄‍🟫🌍 Only one day to wait! Botanical University Challenge #BUC2025 semi-final and final start at 13:30 BST tomorrow. Time to get the snacks in and re-view earlier rounds on YouTube to get i to the vibe!

WIND instruments, mostly...

🌱🌾🌷🌸🌳🧪🌍 Botanical University Challenge #BUC2025 Teams and audience refueling on plants before the first semifinal starts at 13:00 BST today 20 August. YouTube @BotanicalUniversityChallenge www.youtube.com/live/HJfxLRp...

The calm before the storm. In half an hour, 13:30 BST 20 August, Botanical University Challenge #BUC2025 starts. Watch the stream on YouTube @BotanicalUniversityChallenge !!

The purpose-designed dry garden within Cambridge University Botanic Gardens @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social Loving the 18 cm rain so far in 2025. The rest of the garden, not so happy. 3rd Student Botany Festival enjoying time with & about plants. #BUC2025

🌾🌱🌳🌻🪷🌍🍄‍🟫 Careers showcase under olive trees after 3 young academics talked about their career paths. Third Student Botany Festival following Botanical University Challenge #BUC2025 @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social @cieem.bsky.social @newphyt.bsky.social @biologists.bsky.social

Adding flower diversity to the world's model plant, Arabidopsis.

🌱🌿🌾🌼🪷🌻🌍 A small botanical Challenge. What are the yellow things these wild animals found to eat in the English countryside? For an extra zoological point, what sort of animals?! #BUC2025

Great to see the University of Aberdeen doing so well in this!

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🐝🌳🌿 Also competition for most popular team name in Botanical University Challenge, voted by audience. Winner was team Plantastic Five from University College Dublin, runners up team Pain in the Grass from University of Portsmouth! #BUC2025

🌾🌱🌍🌺🌳🧪 After finals Botanical University Challenge, students relax ready for 3rd Botany Festival. Evening included making musical instruments from plants! Here @botanyjohninaber.bsky.social explains making whistle from fresh sycamore twig! #BUC2025

🌍🍄‍🟫🌱🌾🌳🌼🌺🌹🪷🧪 About our disconnect from nature - with a note of hope at the end! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

“Computer modelling predicts that levels of nature connectedness will continue to decline unless there are far-reaching policy and societal changes – with introducing children to nature at a young age and radically greening urban environments the most effective interventions.”

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🌳🪳🌲Excitement at The Botanical Society of Scotland as the team 'Taxon, Taxoff' from University of Aberdeen win Botanical University Challenge against 30 other university student teams from Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales & England. #BUC2025 botsoc.scot/2025/08/27/b...

Glowing houseplants, not involving GM or other genetic changes. Would they be acceptable in UK or EU?

🌱🌍🌾🌺🌳🌿🪳 Final thought-provoking lecture ended 3rd Student Botany Festival. Inspirational finale. Jonathan Silvertown, University of Edinburgh, 'Separating plant myth from plant science'. jonathansilvertown.com #BUC2025

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🌿🐝 3rd Student Botany Festival, held last week at @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social had so much for student plant lovers. Wonderful glasshouses.

🌎🌱🌾🌳🌴🌸🌻🪾Plant physical responses to put off animals considering them for lunch. The animals may now be extinct, but the plants still have protection. Really interesting! #BUC2025

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🌿🐝 Third Student Botany Festival after Botanical University Challenge #BUC2025. Introduction to insects! Why? Where do many live, hover, display, eat but plants? Pollination by insects! Carnivorous plants eat insects!!

🌱🌍🌎🌳🎼🎶Making a whistle from sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) twig. Botanical knowledge helps with successful design and construction! Maybe will feature in October issue The Thymes, newsletter of Botanical University Challenge #BUC2025 !

🪷🌹🌻🌱🪴🌾🌳🌿🌍 Plants growing for natural dyes on roof National Theatre in centre London, UK. To be used in costumes and staging for plays. www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/s...

🌱🌾🌍🌺🍄🌿🧪🐝🪳🌷 Name 2025 winning team of Botanical University Challenge has now been inscribed on the Sid Thomas Trophy. Team Taxon, Taxoff from University of Aberdeen, Scotland. For information about this trophy, see Issue 3, The Thymes, newsletter BUC. botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/the-thymes/

loe, sloe, quick, quick, sloe gin! Dr M

loe, sloe, quick, quick, sloe gin! Dr M

Interested in video games? Interested in plants? Follow the QR or the link to my BSc students project survey "Evaluating plant awareness through video games" Thanks! tinyurl.run/cM8WPo