This year’s International Science Festival (3-17 April) will include 46 events at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, with many events taking place at the Real Life Science Studio and other facilities at the Botanics’ new John Hope Gateway visitor and interpretation centre.
"We have a very ambitious programme for this year’s International Science Festival," said RBGE’s Science Communicator, Dr Max Colman.
Walks, talks, storytelling and hands-on sessions are on the menu with a particular emphasis this year on biodiversity, as the RGBE continues to celebrate International Year of Biodiversity with its programme "Nature's Jigsaw".
This includes free events such as "Potatoes Galore!" (3 & 4 April), which will reveal the variety of this mainstay of the British diet, with 80 different species of wild and cultivated tattie provided by The Commonwealth Potato Collection. You can find out more about the cycle of life in Scottish wilderness areas in the Biodiversity, Mountains and Insects (12 & 13 April) with scientists from the John Muir Trust and the National Museum of Scotland, and there's a variety of events looking at the importance of trees and forests.
Other events include an early morning walk through the gardens with an RSPB expert recognising bird song in Songs at Sunrise (16 & 20 April, booking essential), pond-dipping (5 and 6 April), and in "Beavers!" (18 April) a look at the first mammal re-introduced into Britain after being hunted to extinction 400 years ago.
Colman says it has been "heartening" to see how well events at the John Hope Gateway have been attended since it opened last October.
"We have scientists working in over 70 countries and the Real Life Science Studio has provided a unique opportunity for visitors to meet some of those scientists and learn more about the vital role they play," he said.
Diverse biodiversity events
The science festival events have been divided into themes such as edible biodiversity, biodiversity in the garden, hidden biodiversity and biodiversity in the sky, mountains and forests. Visitors can also learn more about protecting Scotland’s biodiversity.
- Edible Biodiversity: 3 & 4 April, with the Scottish Crop Research Institute and the British Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Biodiversity in the Garden: 5 & 6 April, with the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society, the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens and the National Trust for Scotland.
- Hidden Biodiversity: 7-9 April, with the University of Edinburgh, the Botanical Society of Scotland, the Moredun Research Institute and the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen.
- Biodiversity in the Sky: 10 & 11 April, with the RSPB, the Bat Conservation Trust, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Butterfly Conservation Scotland.
- Mountain Biodiversity: 12 & 13 April, with the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, the John Muir Trust and National Museums Scotland.
- Forest Biodiversity: 14 & 15 April, with Forest Research Scotland and the Forestry Commission Scotland
- Protecting Biodiversity: 16 – 18 April, with the Scottish Wildlife Trust