Laura Winters, the Faculty’s Public Engagement Officer, reflects on this summer’s ‘Discover Nature’ series held at Ness Gardens.
This summer we were back at the beautiful Ness Gardens for our second year of Discover Nature @ Ness – and what a brilliant few weeks it was!
These free public talks are a chance for us to share some of the fascinating research taking place here at the University, and to connect with members of the public in an engaging and accessible way.
Attracting over 180 people this year, the talks explored a wide range of topics all linked to the natural world. Hosted by Dr John Tulloch and Dr Rudi Verspoor, there were two short talks each week, followed by a Q&A session, giving our audience the opportunity to ask questions.
The first session featured Dr Michael Berenbrink, who revealed the ‘Secrets of the Diving Mammals’, highlighting how local species such as seals and beavers have adapted to be able to dive underwater for a living. Dr Georgia Woods-Lee followed with a talk on puppy and kitten growth charts and how by tracking their growth, we can help give our furry friends the best start in life.
In the second week, Dr Genever Morgan explored the potential risks of feeding your pet a raw food diet, particularly the bacteria which can be present in these foods. Melanie Baker followed with a fantastic talk asking Can Beavers Save Our Wetlands?—sharing insights from a project in Hatchmere, Cheshire, where beavers are helping to restore the landscape.
For the final week of Discover Nature, Dr Rebecca Verspoor gave us a brief history of bird ringing, how and why we do it, and what it can tell us about our feathered friends. Dr Chris Mitchell explored intelligence across the animal kingdom—from ants to killer whales, and how science fiction can help us understand some real-world science!
Georgia commented on her experience: “It was a huge pleasure to be able to engage directly with people of all ages and from all walks of life and to have the opportunity to share just a little of what my work entails. It was a very enjoyable experience, and I hope everyone took just a little something away from my session.”
The audience were equally positive about the events with 98% saying they’d learnt something new and would like to come to another event. Feedback comments included "Hugely enjoyed, many thanks. Managed to pack a lot of information into the talks, fascinating!"
As a Faculty, we’re always looking for ways to connect with our communities and share the amazing work our researchers are doing. These talks are a brilliant opportunity for us to do just that. Ness Gardens is the perfect setting and the audience are always very welcoming and engaged, asking lots of interesting questions! We’re already thinking about our next talks, so watch this space or sign up to our events newsletter. If you’re a researcher who’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you: HLSEngagement@liverpool.ac.uk