New 14 Expeditions book showcases globetrotting adventures of botanists
Posted on: 01 October 2018
Botanists from Trinity launched a fascinating new book this week, with 14 Expeditions sure to open eyes and minds to some surprising globetrotting adventures and unexpected trials and tribulations that go hand in hand with botany research.
The new book showcases 14 unique tales, told from the perspective of the botanists who lived them. Readers are taken on a personal journey from shea butter trees in Burkina Faso to elfin forest in Honduras, and from the great grasslands of Russia and China to the landscapes of Arctic East Greenland. Along the way they will learn how botanists – many from Trinity – avoid bears in Alaska, carefully weave machete trails in Fiji, and hop, skip and jump around temperamental volcanic vents, all in the name of science.
You can purchase the book, which has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Irish Print Awards 2018 in the Excellence in Graphic Design category, for (€8) online here or in the Science Gallery Dublin shop or Trinity Long Room shop.
Professor of Botany at Trinity, Jennifer McElwain, edited the book. She said: “This book explores the fascinating and diverse discipline of botany through day-in-the-life interviews with globe-trotting botanists. Through a series of interviews, it showcases the breadth and importance of botany as a modern science addressing global research challenges.”
One of the unanimous themes present in all the tales is the overwhelming importance of fieldwork and global exploration. Without leading new research projects in every corner of the globe, our knowledge of the natural world and the organisms within it would not keep pace with the global changes impacting 21st Century humankind.
Dr Caroline Elliott-Kingston, UCD, focused on her work that considered Life and Death at a Volcanic Event. She said: “Botany is the study of life itself. Since plants are the basis of all food systems on Earth and provide almost all oxygen, life as we know it would not exist without them. Plant research provides the knowledge required to solve fundamental problems such as how to feed a burgeoning global population while preserving biodiversity for all Earth’s creatures.”
PhD Candidate from Trinity, Anne Dubéarnès, included interesting tales from her Travel Diaries from Thailand, which were co-authored by Sukontip Sirimongkol. Anne Dubéarnès said: “As a taxonomist, my aim is to put a name on plants. Biodiversity is rapidly decreasing around the globe, so a greater understanding of how plants vary and the ability to accurately identify species are, more than ever, essential. By providing a better insight into plant diversity, we inform conservation efforts and provide a baseline for research in the realms of ecology, adaptation to climate change and agriculture.”
Assistant Professor in Urban Nature Based Innovation at Trinity, Marcus Collier, focused on A very Urban Expedition. He said: “Botany is a technology that will shape the future direction of cities, how people live in them and how they will resist and withstand climate change.”