http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news.html en-us INQUIRE Sat, 19 May 2012 15:42:37 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/club-of-rome-climate-change-rise-307.html Rising carbon dioxide emissions will cause a global average temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius by 2052 and a 2.8 degree rise by 2080, as governments and markets are unlikely to do enough against climate change, the Club of Rome think tank said. Failing to tackle climate change in the first half of this century will put the world on a dangerous track to warming in the second half, even though global population should peak in 2042 at 8.1 billion and economic growth will be much slower than expected in mature economies, the Switzerland-based body said in a report on 8th May. INQUIRE Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/inquire-workshop-at-smec-2012-and-establish-teacher-conference-305.html The 5th Science and Mathematics Education Conference, SMEC 2012, hosted in conjunction with the ESTABLISH Teacher Conference, will take place on the 7th-9th June 2012 in Dublin City University, Ireland. The conference will focus on "Teaching at the heart of learning". Partner MSU and Partner UniHB as the representatives of the INQUIRE team will conduct a workshop for ESTABLISH teachers. INQUIRE Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/module-3-of-pilot-course-300.html Pilootcursus IBSE - Module 3 INQUIRE Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/ubg-outdoor-activites-298.html Project "Survival" is a fascinating role-playing game in which boys and girls are invited to act as researchers. Exploring various subjects, they have focused on edible, poisonous and medicinal plants that thrive in the botanic gardens at Sofia and Balchik. INQUIRE Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/urban-summer-camps-at-rjb-294.html Enrollment has begun for the Botanical Madrid urban summer camps. Five week-long camps are being offered between June 25 and July 27. The theme will be "Around the World in 5 Days". INQUIRE Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/first-international-fascination-of-plants-day-292.html More than 450 institutions are planning various public or media events related to plant science, agriculture, environmental conservation, biodiversity, education, arts and other topics. INQUIRE Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/aimjb-symposium-293.html The Asociación Íbero-Macaronésica de Jardines Botánicos and the Real Jardín Botánico Juan Carlos I at the University of Alcalá will hold the Third Botanic Gardens Technical Conference on the theme of Towards Sustainability on June 6th- 8th, 2012 in Alcala de Henares. INQUIRE Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/waste-lands-exhibition-296.html The Royal Botanic Gardens, CSIC, welcomes "Waste Lands", an outdoor exhibition that aims raise public awareness of the urban, educational and ecological values of these enclaves dotted around the city of Madrid - neither entirely wild nor cultivated, and seemingly forgotten - that act as corridors, giving various species of flora and fauna access to colonize new spaces. INQUIRE Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/ubg-indoor-activities-299.html Participants in our INQUIRE course have invited us to visit them at school. IBSE techniques are being applied in the classroom and the children are studying with enthusiasm. INQUIRE Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/european-satellite-to-study-chemistry-of-the-atmosphere-295.html A European space satellite will be launched next Friday to investigate the relationship between the chemical composition of the atmosphere and climate change. INQUIRE Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/spanish-forests-continue-to-accumulate-co2-despite-climate-change-286.html Data analyzed by CREAF under the MONTES-CONSOLIDER project show that over the past two decades Spanish forests have accumulated CO2 at an average speed of 5 tons per hectare per year. INQUIRE Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/climate-change-conference-in-moscow-285.html On the initiative of the World Wildlife Fund a conference on global climate change has been held in Moscow for teachers and senior school pupils. Amongst the topics of discussion were several recent Russian publications on climate change issues, including an Atlas of Biodiversity of the Arctic Seas and Coasts from Moscow State University (MSU). INQUIRE Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/conservation-of-endangered-species-281.html A report is currently being compiled on ex situ conservation work in botanical gardens. What exactly is ex situ conservation? INQUIRE Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/new-insect-species-discovered-in-oslo-fjord-282.html Entomologists from the Natural History Museum in Oslo, together with colleagues from BioFokus and NTNU Museum, have spent two years hunting for insects along the Oslo Fjord. To date, they have discovered 158 species of wasps and flies not previously recorded in Norway, 7 of which are probably unknown to science. INQUIRE Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/why-spiders-don-t-get-stuck-in-their-own-webs-278.html If a spider's web is sticky enough to catch many types of prey even bigger than the spider itself, why does it not get caught itself? Get the answer in this video. INQUIRE Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/earth-day-283.html 22nd April, 2012 - Earth Day INQUIRE Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/ipbes-established-today-biodiversity-won-287.html IPBES was established by more than 90 Governments in Panama City on Saturday 21 April, after several years of international negotiations. INQUIRE Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/training-opportunities-for-educators-277.html An exciting training opportunity has arisen for educators working in botanic gardens and museum explainers. Coordinated by Ecsite, the European Network of Science Centres and Museums, Brussels, Belgium, this five day intensive course will be held from 17-21 September 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal. The training has been accredited by the European Commission and grants are available from National Agencies. INQUIRE Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/testing-of-a-computerized-guide-to-the-umbelliferae-family-by-inquire-course-students-273.html What do these well known plants have in common, other than that man has learned how to use them and they grow in vegetable plots? We suggest discussing this question during lessons with students as part of the INQUIRE project as a way of introducing them to the diversity of Umbelliferae plants and their uses. We developed this lesson for the MSU Botanic Garden INQUIRE course in connection with the publication of a major reference book entitled “Umbelliferae of Russia” and a computerized guide containing information on all of the roughly 288 Umbelliferae species growing in Russia. INQUIRE Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/8th-international-congress-on-education-in-botanic-gardens-271.html The Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens, organized by the BGCI (Botanic Gardens Conservation International), will take place from 12-16th of November 2012. It will be hosted by UNAM Botanic Garden in Mexico City. The theme for this congress is Education and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. Congress contributions are welcome. INQUIRE Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/new-leopard-conservation-park-in-russia-s-far-east-267.html On 10th April 2012 the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society officially announced the creation of a conservation area in which at least 50 Far Eastern leopards will be able to live in safety. INQUIRE Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/gm-potatoes-wheat-and-rice-265.html In several European countries field experiments with new genetically modified plants will start this year: in Ireland cisgene potatoes resistant to late blight will be cultivated, while in England and Sweden trails will be run on wheat that can repel lice with pheromones and barley that makes more effective use of nitrogen. All the experiments are part of research and development work on a new generation of genetically modified plants. INQUIRE Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/inquire-pic-in-ubg-264.html The pilot INQUIRE course in Bulgaria continues with outdoor IBSE activities. Module 3 will take place at 10:00 on April 7th at the University Botanic Garden - Sofia for participants from Sofia and the surrounding region, and at 10:00 on April 10th at the University Botanic Garden in Balchik for participants from Varna region. INQUIRE Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/2012-international-year-of-sustainable-energy-for-all-254.html Recognizing the importance of energy for sustainable development, the United Nations General Assembly has designated, by its resolution 65/151, the year 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. INQUIRE Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/garajonay-can-the-laurisilva-preserve-the-canary-island-la-gomera-from-desertification-258.html It is spring, and tourists from all over the world visit the Canary island La Gomera to find recreation here after the long gray of the winter months. They expect a green landscape, palms, banana plantations, prospering almond trees and a sea of flowers. But in spring 2012 they find a brown, bare landscape suffering under the extreme desertification with only few green oases in the valleys and canyons. In some parts of the island there has been no rain for nearly one year. Only the Laurisilva in the mountainous regions of the island, the Garajonay National Park, seems to be able to cope with the extreme dryness. Can the evergreen Laurisilva protect the island from complete desertification? INQUIRE Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/pilot-inquire-course-manual-in-spain-252.html The Pilot INQUIRE Course Manual for teachers and educators is now available. Download it here. INQUIRE Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/an-excellent-estimation-251.html Researchers claim to have the answer to the question of how many species exist on Earth. INQUIRE Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/meeting-of-russian-participants-in-may-249.html A conference for Russian participants in the INQUIRE project is to be held in Moscow on May 19, 2012. All foreign partners are invited to take part. If you are interested, please contact national project coordinator Alla Andreeva at: edubgmu@gmail.com INQUIRE Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/sunny-tree-from-us-teenager-243.html US teenager Aidan Dwyer has become famous in the solar energy industry and won a Young Naturalist Award from the American Museum of Natural History for his “sun tree” project. Being aware that leaves use sunlight for photosynthesis, Aidan noticed that they grow in the same sequence as the Fibonacci Numbers and used the same principle to build a “tree” out of solar panels. It transpired that this tree collects up to 50% more energy than simple flat panels. “Grown-up” scientists have now begun to study this phenomenon. INQUIRE Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/drawing-contest-in-ubg-247.html “Food from Nature ”is this year’s topic for our traditional children's drawing compertition dedicated to Earth Day. INQUIRE Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/climate-adapt-a-new-tool-for-climate-adaptation-policy-making-256.html The European Climate Adaptation Platform (CLIMATE-ADAPT), an interactive web-based tool on adaptation to climate change, goes online today at the European Environment Agency (EEA) in Copenhagen. Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, joined Ida Auken, Denmark's Minister for the Environment, and the EEA's Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade for the launch. INQUIRE Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/world-water-day-245.html In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared the right to drinking water and sanitation as an essential human right for the full enjoyment of life and human rights. INQUIRE Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/drought-in-spain-during-world-water-day-246.html Municipal authorities take action to save water. Avila City Council has agreed to prohibit the watering of public and private gardens to restrict water usage in a city where reservoirs are currently at 53% of normal levels. INQUIRE Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/how-reasearch-is-published-237.html Evolution has been a very controversial issue ever since Darwin published his theory of evolution. When Jorn Hurum from the Natural History Museum in Oslo presented Ida as the "missing link" in a press conference in 2009, the news quickly passed around the world, and many had their say on the matter! INQUIRE Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/3-months-to-r-o-20-our-future-is-at-stake-244.html 3 months to Río+20: Our future is at stake March 21st, Alcalá de Henares, Spain INQUIRE Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/video-clips-on-biodiversity-and-climate-change-238.html The Rainforest Foundation has useful information on its websites and some excellent video clips on biodiversity and climate change. The United Nations Association has created a collection of teaching materials on the topics of rainforests and climate change. There is something of interest there for all levels in schools! INQUIRE Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/early-spring-and-flowering-period-due-to-climate-change-248.html With buds bursting early, only for a mild winter to turn Arctic and wipe them out, we are witnessing how warm weather can trigger flowering, even out of season, and how important it is for plants to blossom at the right time of year. INQUIRE Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/seeds-from-hiroshima-in-siberia-233.html A set of seeds from A-bomb survivor trees, picked in Hiroshima in 2011, has arrived at the Irkutsk Botanic Garden in Siberia, Russia. The seeds are from Ginko, Camphor, Kurogane holly, Persimmon and Aogiri trees. INQUIRE Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/spring-as-an-ecosystem-service-or-how-biological-diversity-makes-us-happy-229.html The German Ministry of Education and Research is running a "Science Year 2012" under the motto ”Zukunftsprojekt Erde" ("Future Project Earth"). In this context the network platform Biodiversity Germany is focusing on biodiversity and its many benefits for mankind - the so called "ecosystem services". One example of this is the impact of spring on human beings.(Image: Prunus armeniaca Source: www.botanikus.de) INQUIRE Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/arbor-day-25th-of-april-230.html Arbor Day is an annual arbor festival. Tree of the Year 2012 is the European Larch (Larix decidua). (Source: www.botanikus.de) INQUIRE Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/fascination-of-plants-day-18th-may-2012-226.html The first international "Fascination of Plants Day" will be launched under the umbrella of the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO). INQUIRE Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/european-tree-of-the-year-225.html A 700 year-old elm tree growing on the banks of the River Beli Lom by the village of Nisovo, near the Bulgarian city of Ruse, has won honorary third place in the European Tree of the Year contest: http://www.treeoftheyear.org/?lang=en The highest number of votes was cast for a linden in the Somogy region of Hungary, while second place went to an elm in Romania. This is the second time the European Tree of the Year contest has been held. It does not select trees by age, but looks for trees that are loved and regarded as symbols of the local community. The award ceremony will be held on 23rd May in the offices of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Brussels . INQUIRE Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/inquire-partners-s-meeting-in-madrid-224.html The partners in the pan-European project INQUIRE meet in Madrid, bringing together 17 scientific institutions from 11 countries. INQUIRE Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/rural-school-operates-with-its-own-biogas-223.html Are renewable sources of energy used in your school? How can you incorporate them? Here is a good example of a sustainable school in Cape Town. Tucked against the rolling hills of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, a small rural school has been turning its kitchen scraps and agricultural and human waste into methane gas for cooking and nutrient-rich fertiliser, and is even recycling its water. INQUIRE Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/jbcoi-no-world-harmony-run-2012-214.html Coimbra Botanical Gardens opened its gates to the 2012 World Harmony Run, celebrating the 25th aniversary of this global torch relay aimed at strengthening international friendship and understanding. INQUIRE Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/curso-inquire-coimbra-ponto-da-situa-o-206.html The first unit of the course has been completed and initial feedback is being received. INQUIRE Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/coimbra-uma-li-o-projeto-coinquire-207.html 22 participants - 16 teachers and 6 educators - are receiving practical training in IBSE in Coimbra Botanical Garden, learning more about the garden itself and its biodiversity. The trainees have gradually become familiar with all the resources available, but the best is yet to come: practical application of the IBSE approach with their students! INQUIRE Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/phytoplankton-research-in-arctic-205.html Is melting sea ice contributing to an overall increase in algae levels in Arctic waters? Marcel Babin, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Remote Sensing of Canada's New Arctic Frontier at the Université Laval, thinks this might be the case. Babin is growing phytoplankton in his lab and stimulating environmental changes - could this be replicated as an IBSE activity in the classroom? INQUIRE Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/inquire-in-nicaragua-204.html Last November, the INQUIRE Project was presented in Nicaragua, creating opportunities for future collaboration. INQUIRE Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/plant-out-of-the-freezer-after-30-000-years-208.html In Russia, scientists have succeeded in growing a flowering plant using seeds stored by squirrels 30,000 years ago and preserved by the Siberian permafrost! The unripe seedpod of Silene stenophyla was found at a depth of 38 metres in the permafrost soil of Siberia. These findings could be a landmark in the research of ancient biological material and could pave the way for reviving other species, including some that are extinct! INQUIRE Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/msu-inquire-course-203.html The Botanic Garden of Moscow State University (known as “Aptekarskiy Ogorod”) has launched a pilot skills enhancement course for Russian teachers on Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE). MSU’s INQUIRE course comprises a total of 72 hours of study, subdivided into formal sessions and homework. Right from the start the atmosphere has been informal and lively, enabling the teachers and garden specialists to extract maximum value and work together on tailoring the INQUIRE course to the Russian environment. A suggestion to run a workshop to mark the completion of the pilot course was enthusiastically supported and the event has already been scheduled for 19th May 2012. Everyone is welcome to attend, including our foreign colleagues. To register an interest or find out more, please contact us at msu@inquirebotany.org. INQUIRE Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/additional-inquire-meeting-in-bulgaria-201.html INQUIRE training in Bulgaria continued with an additional meeting of the participants. In the cold and snowy weather it was nice to see each other and to talk about progress with the training course: what the participants have been trying out in their individual practice; what literature they have read; and how much interest there is in participating in group discussions. The focus of the meeting was reflective practice and its professional benefits, as well as the nature and meaning of "community of practitioners." We also discussed how to plan and run the practical modules included in the training in the most convenient way for all participants. INQUIRE Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/new-species-named-after-portuguese-professor-195.html The scientific name given to a new plant species found on São Tomé and Príncipe Islands pays tribute to the Portuguese professor Jorge Paiva, from Coimbra University. INQUIRE Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/video-researches-196.html Take a look at the Resources (Plant Growth) section, where you will find a link to a video showing the growth and shoot development of a Furcraea (flowering, formation of brood buds). The film is based on time-lapse observation of a 100-year Furcraea selloe in the hothouses of the Botanic Garden of Moscow State University (“Aptekarskiy ogorod”) and was produced by A.G.Velikanov. The video was shown during MSU’s INQUIRE course and generated great interest amongst the teachers, who are now using it in their classes. It is a good example of how modern technology can help inspire and engage students in regular observation of plants at home and in school. INQUIRE Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/3rd-inquire-partners-meeting-194.html The meeting will take place between the 29th of February and the 2nd of March in Alcala de Henares and Madrid. INQUIRE Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/2011-hottest-year-ever-192.html The year 2011 will go down in history as a record breaker in terms of the average annual temperature in Brussels - the warmest year since 1833. INQUIRE Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/new-year-fireworks-makes-birds-scared-191.html A recent Dutch study shows that birds, especially waterfowl, flock to flight when fireworks go off at midnight on New Year's Eve. Detailed analysis of radar images at Brussels Airport shows the same phenomenon in Belgium. INQUIRE Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/taking-ibse-into-secondary-education-188.html What does IBSE mean and why is it important that secondary as well as primary schools implement it? What changes are needed in secondary science education so that students experience learning through inquiry and what are the challenges in making these changes? Find out how education researchers, science teachers and educators joined their expertise and experience to discuss these issues at the International conference: 'Taking IBSE into secondary education'. INQUIRE Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/what-do-people-think-of-science-185.html Many people form their attitudes to science (either positively or negatively) at school according to a recent UK study, with a quarter (24%) agreeing that “school put me off science”. The report ‘Public Attitudes to Science” gets to the heart of how people feel about science, how they engage with it, the trust they place in it, and the role science plays in their lives and careers. INQUIRE Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/roadmap-for-climate-change-184.html A deal was reached in Durban after nearly 14 days of talks under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The roadmap, known as the Durban platform, is seen as the first step towards a new global climate change treaty to succeed the Kyoto protocol on climate change. However, it has not yet reached the stage of setting any new targets for emissions cuts or global temperature reduction. INQUIRE Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/october-5th-reflections-on-our-first-module-at-kew-169.html Join up for a re-run of Kew's first INQUIRE module on December 7th. Register on line here or contact Gail Bromley on kew@inquirebotany.org INQUIRE Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/ready-steady-go-159.html INQUIRE courses in 11 countries are beginning with Partners in Norway and Spain being the first to lead the way. Other Partners are due to begin their courses in the coming weeks. INQUIRE Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/eu-considers-valuing-nature-to-halt-biodiversity-loss-150.html The EU has proposed incorporating the economic value of biodiversity into its decision-maiking, accounting and reporting systems, as part of a new strategy that aims to protect and restore some of Europe's most vulnerable habitats. INQUIRE Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/climate-change-should-not-be-excluded-from-english-national-curriculum-151.html A review of the English national curriculum is underway and a report will be published later this year. Tim Oates, head of the expert panel reviewing the panel said that it should be up to schools to decide whether – and how – to teach climate change. INQUIRE Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/botany-a-blooming-history-149.html What makes plants grow is a simple enough question. The answer turns out to be one of the most complicated and fascinating stories in science as Timothy Walker, director of Oxford University Botanic Garden, explains in the BBC4 programme "Botany: A Blooming History". INQUIRE Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/women-scientists-need-a-greater-voice-153.html Despite decades of awareness, science is still inherently sexist. Women are vastly under-represented in professorships and in national academies worldwide. This is a familiar problem, but less highlighted is how the discrepancy plays out in the public arena of science as a recent article in Nature argues. INQUIRE Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/discussions/questions-to-conserve-biodiversity-152.html In 2009, conservation experts from 24 world-leading organisations identified one hundred key scientific questions that, if answered, could help conserve global biodiversity. How could these questions be used to develop IBSE activities? Could students develop them to be more relevant to their local context? INQUIRE Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/inquire-courses-kick-off-in-september-173.html Norway and Spain will be the first partners to run their INQUIRE courses. Norway will focus on primary school teachers as recommended by the Norwegian School Authorities, with 15 participants enrolled on the two-day course. In Spain, partners in Madrid and Alcala are joining forces and are running a national INQUIRE course for 30 participants of both primary and secondary schools. The course will run from 5-9 September. INQUIRE Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/get-ready-for-the-second-partners-meeting-172.html Plans are already underway for the second Partners Meeting which will take place from 26th to 28th September in Bremen and Hannover, Germany. The meeting will kick off at the Schulbiologiezentrum in Hannover where partners will find out about the work of the centre. The following day the meeting will be held at the Rhododendron Park in Bremen where Partners will have the opportunity to discuss their INQUIRE courses and learn about assessment techniques in more detail. Partners are asked to prepare a module of their course which will be peer reviewed during the course. INQUIRE Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/train-the-trainers-course-obergurgl-171.html The snow topped mountains in Obergurgl, Austria, provided the backdrop for the INQUIRE Train the Trainers meeting held from 23-25 June. The two and a half day course focused on building Partners skills in IBSE and evaluation. INQUIRE Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/sharpen-your-skills-in-ibse-148.html Plans are coming together for the Train the Trainers course in Obergurgl, Austria, from 23-25 June. The two and a half day course will focus on building Partners skills in IBSE and evaluation. INQUIRE Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/successful-first-partners-meeting-142.html The Millennium Seed Bank provided a stunning location for the first Partners Meeting from 3-4 May. 33 participants turned up for a stimulating and intense couple of days. INQUIRE Sat, 14 May 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/new-website-for-inquire-156.html BGCI is the lead partner for developing the INQUIRE website. BGCI has contracted a London-based company, Prospect, to work with them on this important communication tool. The website will be in nine languages and will be designed to facilitate interaction between partners and visitors through encouraging dialogue and comments on the site. INQUIRE Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/online-project-management-tools-facilitate-communication-between-partners-157.html BGCI is very pleased to announce the use of the online project management tool Glasscubes. ‘This should make the sharing of information and documents much simpler for all Partners’ said Asimina Vergou, BGCI’s Education Programme Coordinator. INQUIRE Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London http://www.inquirebotany.org/en/news/inquire-partners-meet-for-the-first-time-161.html The magnificent National Botanic Garden of Belgium was the venue for the inaugural meeting of the INQUIRE project. Thirty one participants representing the 17 Partners came together from 17-19 January to discuss a range of issues associated with the setting up of the INQUIRE project. INQUIRE Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 Europe/London