: Spring Bulbs

Super scientists come to Llanberis!

Danielle Cowell, 8 June 2012

Three thousand pupils from thirty eight schools across the UK received Super Scientist Certificates on behalf of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales in recognition of their contribution to the Spring Bulbs - Climate Change Investigation.

An outstanding school from each country was selected and treated to a fun packed day out jointly funded by Amgueddfa Cymru and the Edina Trust.

Westwood CP School in Wales visited National Slate Museum in Llanberis. Earlston Primary School in Scotland visited the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh and Fulwood and Cadley School in England enjoyed a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.

Here are some pictures from Westwood's trip on a very sunny day in Llanberis!

Spring Bulb for Schools: Results 2005-2012

Danielle Cowell, 16 May 2012

The ‘Spring Bulbs for Schools’ project allows 1000s of schools scientists to work with Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales to investigate and understand climate change.

Since October 2005, school scientists have been keeping weather records and noting when their flowers open, as part of a long-term study looking at the effects of temperature on spring bulbs.

Certificates have now been sent out to all the 2,933 pupils that completed the project this year.

See Professor Plant's reports or download the spreadsheet to study the trends for yourself!

  • Make graphs & frequency charts or calculate the mean.
  • See if the flowers opened late in schools that recorded cold weather.
  • See how temperature, sunshine and rainfall affect the average flowering dates.
  • Look for trends between different locations.
     
Daffodil Drawing Competition 2012.
 
Congratulations to the following pupils who produced some excellent botanical drawings!

1st: Sana Patel - Fulwood & Cadley Primary

2nd: Markus - Stanford Primary - Age 9

3rd: Emilia Porter - Fulwood & Cadley Primary

Runner's up:

  • Marielle Matter - Westwood Primary - Age 9
  • Emlyn Piette - Westwood Primary - Age 10
  • Aleena Raza - Fulwood & Cadley Primary
  • Lucy Turner - Fulwood & Cadley Primary
  • Davina Vadhere - Fulwood & Cadley Primary
  • Bradley Cox - Stanford in the Vale Primary - Age 9
  • Abigail Boswell - Fulwood & Cadley Primary
  • Hasan Patel - Fulwood & Cadley Primary
  • Tom Betheridge - Fulwood & Cadley Primary
  • Mairelle Mattar - Westwood Primary - Age 9
  • Hasan Ali - Sherwood Primary
  • Charlie Smith - Ysgol Nant Y coed - Oed 9

Many Thanks

Professor Plant

www.museumwales.ac.uk/scan/bulbs

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Super Scientist Awards 2012

Danielle Cowell, 24 April 2012

Thirty eight schools across the UK are to be awarded Super Scientist Certificates on behalf of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales in recognition for their contribution to the Spring Bulbs - Climate Change Investigation.

Congratulations to all 1,625 pupils who have keep records and made observations to study climate change - each will receive a certificate and other prizes to celebrate their outstanding efforts. Certificates and prizes will be sent to schools by the 14th of May 2012. Many thanks to the Edina Trust for funding this project.

Winners 2012: Each will receive a class trip of fun-packed nature activities!

  • Westwood CP School in Wales
  • Earlston Primary School in Scotland
  • Fulwood and Cadley School in England

Runner's up: Each to receive vouchers to purchase gardening equipment, certificates & seedlings.

  • Christchurch CP School
  • Saint Roberts Roman Catholic Primary School
  • Sherwood Primary School
  • St. Joseph's R C Primary (Penarth)
  • Stanford in the Vale CE Primary School
  • Woodplumpton St Annes C of E Primary
  • Ysgol Nant Y Coed

Highly commended schools: Each to receive certificates, sunflower seeds, salad seeds & flowers to attract butterflies.

  • Channelkirk Primary
  • Coleg Powys
  • Ysgol Y Ffridd
  • Ysgol Capelulo
  • Lakeside Primary
  • Maesglas Primary School
  • Ysgol Clocaenog
  • Ysgol Bro Ciwmeirch
  • Ysgol Porth Y Felin
  • Glyncollen Primary School
  • Ysgol Pant Y Rhedyn
  • Howell's School Llandaff
  • Williamstown Primary school
  • Ysgol Tal Y Bont
  • Morfa Rhianedd
  • Ysgol Deganwy

Schools with special recognition: Each to receive, certificates, flowers to attract butterflies and salad seeds.

  • Gordon Primary School
  • Laugharne VCP School
  • Milford Haven Junior school
  • Ysgol Iau Hen Golwyn
  • Oakfield Primary school
  • Windsor Clive Primary

Schools to be awarded certificates: Each to receive Super Scientist Certificates.

  • Radnor Primary
  • Brynhyfryd Junior School
  • Bishop Childs CIW Primary School
  • Eyton Church in Wales Primary School
  • Ysgol Cynfran
  • Ysgol Bodfari

Many thanks

Professor Plant

www.museumwales.ac.uk/scan/bulbs

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Sun, snow & hosepipe bans

Danielle Cowell, 5 April 2012

What a crazy few weeks of weather we have had! In one week the weather reporters have featured record breaking temperatures, hosepipe bans and now snow in many places!

The high pressure gave us plenty of sunshine and record breaking temperatures but now temperatures have returned more to what we would normally expect for the time of year.

Meanwhile, the temperature of our planet is still rising. 2010 was the hottest year across the globe. For the UK this seems to mean that wierd weather is becoming more and more normal. We have certainly seen some strange weather since starting our investigation.

BBC Horizon broadcast a program called ‘Global Weirding’, it explored the science behind why the world’s weather seems to be getting more extreme.

It will be interesteing to see what our results show this year.

I've recieved all the data now so after Easter I will be looking at the trends and discussing them with schools.

Many thanks to all the bulb buddies that have worked so hard keeping records since last November.

Enjoy the Easter Break!

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Bulb buddies relax...

Danielle Cowell, 29 March 2012

Dear Bulb Buddies

I can't believe that we are now in our final week of recording!

This is the 20th week of record keeping - so congratulations to every school scientist that has been out in the rain, snow and finally this amazing warm March weather to keep records.

Top temperature recorded in schools = 25C last friday at Glyncollen Primary School, near Swansea.

I really hope you have enjoyed the experiment and learned about keeping plants, your local weather and climate change. Thanks so much for helping me with this important investigation. I will be awarding all who have kept records with Super Scientist Certificates - which will be sent to your school by the 14th of May together with a summary of the investigation results.

Please make sure all your records are sent in this Friday together with any drawing competition entries you may have. Please see pictures of pupils drawing their flowers in the sunshine!

If your flower hasn't flowered yet but it does have a bud then please take it home over Easter and jot down the date it opens. If sadly, your flower hasn't opened and doesn't have a bud then please send a in a no flower record and you will of course still recive your certificate.

Record breaking weather!

A temperature of 22.8C (73F), the highest in the UK, was recorded at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire, beating the previous March record of 22.2C in 1965.

Porthmadog in Gwynedd was the warmest place in the UK on Saturday with temperatures soaring to 22.2 Celsius, 72 Fahrenheit. That's about 12 degrees above the seasonal average and warmer than Malaga in Spain!

I look forward to sending you your certificates and seedlings in May. Enjoy your Easter break, many, many thanks. Professor Plant.

P.s I will be blogging next week too for schools that haven't yet broken-up for the holidays - so please send in any comments.

Your comments:

Woodplumpton Primary: Two of our crocus bulbs did not open. Eleven of our daffodils have not opened yet. We are going to take them home today but will watch them and record the date and height if they do flower and send the results after Easter. Our mystery bulb opened! It's a yellow tulip! Ans: many thanks Woodplumpton!

Struan: Unfortunately someone snapped my flower. Ans: Very sorry to hear this Struan - and thanks for sending in your record.

Glyncollen Primary: We have had a lovely,mild week and today it is very warm. Our plants are growing well. We will be sorry to finish this investigation next week but we are going to tell Yr.3 all about it ready for next year. Thank you very much. Ans: Thank you Glyncollen I look forward to sending you your certificates and working with your school next year.

Really warming up know, and children upset to hear about the hosepipe ban, as we have little rain water in our water butts! Gardening Club, Stanford in the Vale Primary School. Ans: Yes we haven't had much rain this year. Hope you get some rain to fill up the water butts.

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