• Question: How often do you go in the woods to study plants

    Asked by anon-218290 to Shannah, Richard, johnpaterson, Emma, Anna on 21 Jun 2019.
    • Photo: John Paterson

      John Paterson answered on 21 Jun 2019:

      I do my research in the field Monday to Thursday every week at the moment. There are some woods right beside my greenhouse and I go into them almost every day during my lunch to have a look at the plants and insects that are around. This isn’t actually part of my research, I just do it because I enjoy it and I like seeing what different types of plant and insect are out at different times of the year. I also have some woods near my house and I like going there to look at the plants and animals. At the moment we have a lot of birds called white-throated dippers there. They are little birds that sit on rocks in the stream and then dive underwater to hunt insects and small fish.

    • Photo: Emma Markham

      Emma Markham answered on 21 Jun 2019:

      Unfortunately I don’t often get to visit woodlands to study plants. When I was younger I really wanted to work in conservation as be a nature reserve manager, as I could then be outside in nature all day. A lot of the time when we study a plant for science we need to grow it in very controlled conditions, like in a special greenhouse. And so we might only get to visit a woodland a few times.
      Do you often visit the woods? What is your favorite thing you have found in a woodland?

    • Photo: Anna Gardner

      Anna Gardner answered on 21 Jun 2019:

      I go into the woods every day. My research is based in the woods so I am there either in the trees ( I climb them to study the oak tree leaves) or on the ground (to study the soils). I mostly work in the sunshine as that is when the leaves are best at photosynthesising (making their own food) but I really enjoy being there when its raining. This is because all the fungi (mushrooms) pop up! Just after it has rained is also a great time to go to the woods, this is when the insects and birds all come out of hiding to go find some food. Opposite my house there is a woodland too, so I am often going for walks there to see all the birds and wildlife. I think it is good to go to woods as it makes you happy very quickly, you will never get bored!

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