Hello! My name is Faye and I am a PhD student at Cardiff University currently on a 3-month placement in industry here at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
During my day-to-day life as a PhD student I study the biochemical relationship between the male and female part of the plant during fertilisation. This is trying to elucidate how they communicate by transferring signals when the pollen tube grows down towards the egg.
Alongside my PhD I run (and founded) the Cardiff Bioscience Volunteering Group, a student led group who carry out public engagement and scientific communication. Last year we went to Cheltenham Science Festival and ran two activities in the Maker Shack.
I have always been passionate about scientific communication, as I think it is so important for the incredible work being carried out around the world to be shouted about. This is what pushed me to get in contact with the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Growing the Future Team.
Growing the Future is a five-year project to champion Welsh horticulture, plants for pollinators, the protection of wildlife and the virtues of growing plants for food, fun, health and well-being. Within that remit, there is huge scope for scientific communication and also public engagements, and this is why I asked to join the team for a 3-month placement.
During my time here I have actually got myself involved with a whole host of things, including building some small public engagement activities including sunflower (pollinator plant) planting and making bee hotels.
My main project however, is putting together and organising the Well-being Garden / Gardd Lles Weekend which will take place from the 25-27th of May. For the next 3 weeks before the event I am going to be introducing some of our contributors, and all the information about each day. I am so excited to have been let loose on organising this event and I hope as many people as possible come and find it useful!