The extended deadline for flower records is Friday 19 April – that is this Friday bulb buddies! Please remember to send me your records on the website.

Remember to check the bulb-blog next week as I will be announcing the Competition winners!! Winners for the Flower Drawing Competition and the Win a Nature-Activity Trip will be announced on Monday 22 April.

Whose flowers have opened this week?

Lakeside Primary, Ysgol Bryn Garth, Christchurch CP School and Rhydypenau Primary School in Wales, Manor Primary School and Coppull Parish Primary School in England and Wormit Primary School in Scotlandhave all sent in flower records. Well done and thank you to these schools!

There has been a lot in the news recently about the cold and snow, and how late flowering is this year. Did you know it was the coldest March in the UK in over 50 years? And guess what? March was colder than the winter months of December, January and February! No wonder some of our flowers are late to open this year.

See BBC News or Met Office News for more information on these cold weather stories.

In March The Guardian reported that plants are late to bud and flower this year, especially in Scotland, and that hibernating animals like bats, frogs and lizards woke up then went back into hibernation because it was too cold!

Unfortunately, cold weather can lead to an increase in local air pollution. This is because we generate more pollution by using more heating, but also because when the air is cold and still, pollution particles build up in the atmosphere rather than evaporating or being blown away.

Many thanks

Prof P

Another busy Easter fortnight has been and gone, one which saw over 4000 people visit the Tŷ Gwyrdd at St Fagans. Between the 25^th of March and the 4^th of April we ran a range of workshops from upcycling corkboards to planting tomoato seeds via an April Fools day quiz. 

One of our workshops, Grow Now, Eat Later, was designed as a way to encourage visitors to think about growing their own food. There was a chance for families to plant a few tomato seeds to take home with them. Hopefully, over the coming months, with the right kind of nurturing, these seeds will grow into healthy tomato plants and will eventually produce a crop of delicious tomatoes. I’ll let you know how my own attempts fare! 

For 2 days we were joined by Wood for the Trees Wales who held an Up-Cycling Workshop in the Tŷ Gwyrdd. This involved creating notice boards from old picture frames and cork tiles. This was an extremely popular activity with all who visited, in fact we used up every single picture frame and every scrap of cork tile! If you are interested in similar workshops, visit Wood for the Trees Wales’ Facebook page for more info! 

As Easter Monday fell on April the 1^st, we thought it was only right to hold an event for April Fools day. We created an quiz around the house so that visitors could test themselves to find out if they were Eco Cool or indeed an April Fool. Luckily it turned out most of our visitors were indeed Eco Cool… with only a few exceptions. After completing the quiz there was a chance to make badge to show off your eco credentials to friends and family. 

As part of the Making History Project, the use of the Tŷ Gwyrdd will be changing. As the main visitor entrance is being upgraded, the Tŷ Gwyrdd will form part of a temporary entrance to St Fagans. 

Over the years, we’ve had a fantastic time running numerous workshops in the Tŷ Gwyrdd and meeting literally thousands of wonderful poeple. Thanks to the many, many people who have helped us achieve this. Rest assured, lots of our workshops will continue, albeit in different locations throughout St Fagans Museum. Watch this space!

April 10th: There are eggs

The female started incubating on the 20th March so, all being well, we can expect the first chick to be hatching in the latter half of April. There was relatively little sign of the pair earlier in the year and the report of a dead Peregrine in Alexandra Gardens just before Christmas was a cause for concern!

With so little displaying and calling around the tower I was quite surprised to see the female begin brooding in late March, let's hope this pair is successful.

There more than 100 natural history collections across Wales, containing a fantastic record of Welsh (and international) fauna, flora and geology. Many of these collections go back to the early 19^th century. They are an irreplaceable resource for public exhibitions, teaching and scientific research. These collections include some real jewels, such as a King Penguin from the Shackleton expedition to Antarctica more than 100 years ago, an early Neolithic bone flute, and a 19^th century turnspit dog (stuffed).

One of the best ways scientists and researchers can gather information about the importance of our environment is through studying museum collections. For example, biological specimens are used to study changes in biodiversity over time, and geological specimens can help us understand climate change. Preserving these collections is an absolute necessity. If a 200-year-old collection can tell us something about how to save the environment tomorrow, it has to be worth preserving.

Unfortunately, many natural science collections across Wales are at real risk of deterioration. The only subject specialists in Wales work at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. This means that many museums do not have the knowhow to interpret their collections to their full potential, some collections are neglected and museum visitors do not get to see everything they possibly could.

A new project is now trying to address this issue. The Linking Natural Science Collections project will review a large part of the Welsh natural history collections and combine them – at least in the virtual reality of the internet – by bringing together collections records in an online database. This means that all the individual collections across Wales can then be treated as pieces of one large natural science collection. These collections will therefore form part of a Distributed National Collection – a concept from the Welsh government’s Museum Strategy.

The project will conclude after three years with a touring exhibition of spectacular or significant natural science objects from across Wales. There will also be many other benefits, for example training for curators who will then be able to better understand and use their collections, and to share their knowledge with museum visitors and users.

If you have a natural sciences collection or are interested in knowing more about this project please get in touch with the project manager, who is based at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales (christian.baars@museumwales.ac.uk).

You can also follow the project on Facebook: facebook.com/LinkingCollectionsWales.

Find out more about the Museums Strategy for Wales 2010-1015.

Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales: www.museumwales.ac.uk.

© the National Museum of Wales

Thankyou very much to the Gardening Club at Stanford in the Vale School for sending me in these lovely photos of pupils and their daffodils! You look very scientific measuring your daffodils!

Wow! This blog looks quite long again! I just really wanted to reply to lots more of your wonderful comments from before the Easter hols…

Your weather comments:

Stanford in the Vale Primary School: Two crocuses have opened up today! Our last day of term! Prof P: Great news! I hope more have opened when you get back to school.

Henllys CIW Primary: All children have taken their plants home for the Easter holidays. We had our first crocus flower open yesterday hopefully everyone will keep an eye on their plants during the holidays and record when they open. Prof P: I’m glad you could take your plants home, I look forward to receiving your flower records.

Westwood CP School: No readings on Friday - school closed due to snow. No flowers open before Easter Break. Teacher took readings for last 2 weeks to send from home. Prof P: Thanks for the update, do you have some flowers now Westwood?

SS Philip and James Primary School: We can't believe this is our last week of measuring and sending in our weather data. Thank you, goodbye and Happy Easter!
From the Super Scientists at Phil and Jim! Prof P: Thank you too Phil & Jim Team Super Scientists!

St Joseph's Primary School (Penarth): Most of our crocus bulbs have opened but, sadly, not our daffodil bulbs. We have left our pots at school over the Easter holidays because the eco committee are planning to plant them around the school later. Hopefully, there will be some beautiful daffodil flowers when we go back? Happy Easter! Prof P: That sounds like a lovely idea St Joseph’s. I like the sound of your eco committee, they sound great!

Coppull Parish Primary School: We are all very disappointed as so far we have no flowers. We think we will get maybe 2 or 3, because only one pot is showing any signs of growth. Prof P: I hope they flower eventually Coppull Parish.

Stepping Stones Short Stay School: School finished today on Thursday 28th for the Easter holidays, so we have no records for Friday 29th. Today the first crocus that we have been watching opened fully, at last! Prof P: I’m very pleased for you!

Manor Primary School: Friday 29th: School was not open due to being Good Friday. Happy Easter all. School is back on Monday 15th April. All the pots have shoots but nothing is open yet. Prof P: Thank you for the update Manor Primary! Happy Easter to you too.

Newport Primary School: Week 12:Really cold all this week with snow every day. Week 13: A balmy 5 degrees today. Prof P: Brrr! I have seen on the TV how snowy it has been in Scotland.

Milford Haven Junior School: The quadrangle garden was flooded on Friday due to heavy rainfall at night. Prof P: Did anyone get wet feet?

Ysgol Porth Y Felin: to pp, unfortunately this is our last week doing professor plant. I am here to thank you for joining in our school. nothing is really wrong so, happy easter from ysgol porth y felin. Prof P: Well done bulb buddies! I have enjoyed doing this experiment with you, thanks for your help.

Wormit Primary School: We go on holiday today for our Easter Break. Our crocuses have not flowered yet because we think it has been too cold. We are glad that you have extended the date for recording their flowering dates! We will keep an eye on them over the Easter break- P7 and Mrs Wright :) Prof P: Fingers crossed that your flowers open before the next deadline. Happy holidays!

Balcurvie Primary School: This is our last weather entry as we are off school for the Easter holidays tomorrow. Yeah! Prof P: I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Greyfriars RC Primary School: we are off school on Friday so today is our last day at school and were off school tomorrow so this is our last weather report for now. The bulbs have grown a lot and they are all in bud. We're taking them home for the holiday. We will record flowering dates. They are getting taller and are getting ready to bloom mine is looking awesome we are very excited about our bulbs. Prof P: Excellent work Greyfriars!

Glyncollen Primary School: Thank you for the bulbs. We are amazed at how tall our crocus grew. We are very happy as the daffodils are the national emblem of our country Wales. We have had a wonderful time doing the investigation. Our crocuses have grown well. We are very sad that everything has now finished. Bye bye from year 4 Prof P: The daffodil is such a beautiful sunny flower to have as the national emblem of Wales isn’t it Glyncollen? I love it.

Thorneyholme RC Primary School: Yo Pro P!!! We have had a lot of snow so unfortunately our bulbs are taking a long time to grow. HAPPY EASTER!!!! Thanks for letting us participate in this project. It has been EPIC!!!!!! Hopefully our bulbs will have grown over the Easter holidays. Thanks and bye bye. Thorneyholme. :)  Prof P: I am so glad you have enjoyed the project! Happy Easter to you too.

St Mary's Catholic Primary School: Dear Prof Plant, Our school was closed due to heavy snowfall overnight 21st-22nd March. Our crocus bulbs had just begun to open! and we were very excited and looking forward to taking our pots home for the Easter holidays. Sadly because of the closure the pots remain at school!!! Prof P: I’m sorry that you couldn’t take your plants home, but don’t worry, maybe they will wait until you get back to school and then flower?

Britannia Community Primary School: Still no flowers and very cold! Prof P: Stay wrapped up warm Britannia bulb buddies, and keep watching!

Ysgol Nant Y Coed: Today is the last day of term so we're all taking our bulbs home. All the daffodils have opened or are in bud. We'll record when they flower at home. We've really enjoyed taking part in the project and hope the data we've sent will be useful. Prof P: The data you send in will be VERY useful Ysgol Nant y Coed, thanks for all your hard work.

Many thanks

Prof P