Transcript Spring Bulbs for Schools!

Spring Bulbs for Schools!
Your chance to adopt your own bulbs and take
part in an environmental science project.
A letter from
Professor Plant
Hello!
I’m Professor Plant!
I work at Amgueddfa Cymru –National
Museum Wales, in Cardiff. I study plants and
nature in the botanical section of the museum.
I am writing to ask if you can help me with an
important nature investigation…
Nature’s clocks have gone strange!
Flowers are
opening earlier
Leaves on trees are opening earlier
Birds such as the swallow are
arriving in the UK earlier each year.
Insects like bees are
sometimes seen all
year around
But why…
Temperatures are changing!
Our world is heating up! Scientists say that
our climate is changing and that pollution
is to blame.
It is Climate change that is causing our
seasons to change and nature’s clocks to
go strange.
How could temperature
changes affect nature?
• Look at this food chain. How could this food chain be affected
if the caterpillar grew up and flew away before the chick was
born?
Oak leaf 
Winter moth caterpillar  Blue tit chick
Records gathered over the last 200
years tell us that spring is getting earlier!
Hunting and fishing settlement 9,000 years ago.
People have studied plants
and animals for a long
time.
Early hunters had to know
when herds of animals
were passing by and
farmers need to know
when to gather their
crops.
Today, records are kept in
museums, botanical
gardens and universities.
You can keep records too visit http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/ to find out more!
Spring bulbs are great tools for
measuring changes in our seasons
because they are very sensitive to
changes in temperature.
If we have a cold spring, flowers open late and if we have a
warm spring, flowers grow and open earlier.
Daffodils on the 1st of February (1917-1926)
Can you help?
Can you grow your own daffodil and
crocus bulbs and record when they open?
Can you keep weather charts and post
them on the web?
Online weather chart
Online flowering map – showing which
flowers have opened in which schools
Become a Super Scientist!
Since October 2005, super scientists across Wales 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.
If you can help…
You will receive your
own pot and bulbs
and work towards
a Super Scientist
Certificate!
+ gain the chance to
win a natureactivity trip for
your class!
Please get involved!
• If you want to help I will
arrange for my plant-pals to
send you your bulbs so you
can help me with this fun but
important investigation.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Plant.