This month an extraordinary thing happened; a man called Joerma Biernath and his team sailed a World War 2 training boat containing a tree (and a barrel of gin, naturally) 600 miles from Hannover in Saxony to the UK. This tree now has pride of place here in the Botanic Garden, planted by the sailors themselves, North Sea salt in their hair and now Bristol soil under their fingernails.
The tree is Cornus mas or Cornelian Cherry, a rare plant in Lower Saxony; the sailors have planted it outside our Welcome Lodge where it will live as a symbol of the bond between cities. In early spring it produces small bright yellow flowers at a time when flashes of brightness are such a welcome sight after a long dark winter. (more…)
My name is Irene Cambi and I have the incredible honour of being Bristol Botanic Garden new trainee. I studied politics and human rights before becoming completely and totally amazed by plants. As a woman, and considering my interests in politics, today is a very important day to me.
Today, 8th of March 2019, is the International Women’s Day (IWD). This is a date that brings women (and men) together to fight for a more equal world and celebrate the political and social rights achieved. Although the United Nations began celebrating the IWD only in 1975, this day had been celebrated all around the world long before then. Indeed, the first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States, on the 28th of February 1909, to honour the 1908 female garment workers’ strike in New York. (more…)
I a
m a recent Maths and Physics graduate from the University of Bristol, and during my studies I volunteered once a week at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden. Whilst volunteering, I gained valuable experience working as part of a team and considerable knowledge about exotic and unusual plants; but most importantly I developed strong and valuable friendships with the team of staff and volunteers. This support network and opportunity offered the respite I needed to cope with my university studies, and ongoing problems I was facing outside of university. The University Botanic Garden is a tranquil and relaxing environment that everyone should have the chance to enjoy, as a visitor or volunteer, as a plant lover or not. (more…)
