A celebration of plants, which will be held worldwide tomorrow, will also take place in Galway hosted by NUI Galway.
Entitled the Fascination of Plants Day, it is the first international day to honour the importance of botany in our environment, and has been adopted by 39 countries with the common goal of getting people enthused by the importance of plant science.
NUI Galway will lead Ireland’s involvement in hosting a number of exhibitions and activities to mark the day.
A photography and art exhibition celebrating ‘Our Fascinating Flora’ will officially open at the NUI Galway art gallery tomorrow at 2pm and run until Wednesday May 23 . Featured exhibits will include works from botanical artist Margareta Pertl, and artists Miriam de Burca, Alan Crowley and Peter Sherry. Ceramic art will include exhibits from Veronika Straberger, Anna Pielach and Louise Browne, and wood turning from Ambrose and Bríd O’Halloran. Winners of the national Fascination of Plants Day photography competition will also feature.
Stories, all featuring the theme of plants, will be told by renowned storyteller Rab Fulton in the art gallery tomorrow at 11am and by Dr Maria Tuohy and members of Biochemistry at 3pm.
Another feature of the celebration of plants will be a tree climbing session on Wednesday, May 23 outside Áras de Brún, with Keith Browne and experts from NUI Galway Mountaineering Club. Volunteers from the club will help the public get up into the trees using harnesses and ropes to see what goes on at canopy level.
Dr Zoë Popper, lecturer in botany and plant science , says: “Plants are fascinating and beautiful. Having the ability to directly synthesise their own food has enabled plants to successfully colonise, adapt, and diversify within almost every niche on the planet. There are more than 250,000 plant species and they are vital for us in terms of agriculture, food, horticulture and forestry.”
For more information regarding events in Ireland visithttp://www.plantday12.eu/ireland.htm# and http://fascinationofplants.blogspot.com
