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Carnival of Science
The ITEN stand welcomed a significant number of distinguished visitors over the weekend, including the Lord Mayor and Tánaiste Micheál Martin. It was a pleasure to observe them actively engage with the stand, examine the pine tree specimen under the microscope, and cast their votes for their preferred tree species. The overwhelming success of this event makes it abundantly clear that there is a strong and growing appetite within the Cork community for expanding knowledge and appreciation of trees. The level of engagement and the overwhelmingly enthusiastic responses to our surveys clearly demonstrate the public's keen interest in learning more about trees.
Carnival of Science Favourite Tree Survey Results
The survey has revealed the Carnival of Science stats, in joint 5th place is Ash and Sycamore tree. The Sycamore tree has large, distinctive 5-lobed leaves that are dark green in colour and develop dark spots and turn yellow in the autumn. The Ash tree is renowned for producing wood that is exceptionally strong and flexible. This wood has been historically utilised in the creation of a diverse range of products, from sporting equipment like hurley sticks to durable furniture.
In 4th place was the Apple tree, The crab apple is one of Ireland's 28 native tree species, valued not only for its edible fruit but also its beautiful spring blossoms and autumn foliage.
In 3rd place was Horse Chestnut tree. Horse Chestnut tree large, deciduous tree. The Horse Chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) are known for producing large, shiny brown conkers that are surrounded by a spiky green husk. The conkers fall to the ground in autumn and are consumed by mammals such as deer and squirrels.
In 2nd place was Cherry Blossom while not native to Ireland, has become a popular ornamental tree in parks, gardens and along streets, known for its showy pink or white flowers that bloom in early spring.
In 1st place was Oak tree. One of Ireland's most iconic native tree species, with two main varieties found in the country - the pedunculate or English oak (Quercus robur) and the sessile or Killarney oak (Quercus petraea). Oak trees are known for their distinctive lobed leaves that are dark green in summer and turn shades of brown, red and purple in autumn before falling off the deciduous tree. The Oaks are an important part of Ireland's woodland ecosystems and biodiversity, providing food and habitat for a wide variety of wildlife including birds, insects and mammals.
Figure 1. Overview of Carnival of Science Favourite Tree Survey Results
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The ITEN team
Based at UCC, the team includes Dr Eoin Lettice, Dr Barbara Doyle Prestwich, Emma Hutchinson and Gabriella Chisholm from the School of BEES and Prof. Claire Connolly and Dr. Claire Nolan from the School of English and Digital Humanities.
To keep up with project news and updates, follow iten_ucc on Twitter and Instagram and the Irish Tree Explorers Network on Facebook.