#308: Word of the Day: Depauperate

One aspect of preparing for the new course will be to learn a whole range of new natural history vocabulary.

This may come from a whole range of sources, including an approved textbook which is no doubt taking shape somewhere.

Others may include lectures. A recent GA Tyne and Wear Branch poster featured the word depauperate in the details of a lecture on ecosystems. I'd never heard of it before..

Turns out it will probably be quite useful when describing some urban environments.

#270: Attitudes to Nature

Take a look at this report.

It is from Oxfordshire County Council, and they have a website where people can report problems in their local community.

It's a shame that this could be flagged as a problem. 

I presume one possibility is that the tree will be removed... 

#236: Urban Plants: an ID guide

Most ID guides for plants are about rural locations, and to help identify things like wildflowers and salt marsh plants. They are for taking on nature rambles in woodlands or rural locations.

Pelagic Publishing is preparing to publish a guide in July 2024 which will help identify weeds growing through the pavements, or other urban locations. To be fair, for many schools, these plants are more likely the ones to be found in the immediate area, particularly urban schools which may not have a park or significant open space that is easily accessible.

This is another example where the context of a school may well determine the possibility of offering GCSE Natural History. There are several important factors here.

Description:

Have you ever wondered exactly what those ‘weeds’ are growing along the kerb or between the cracks in the pavement? Not the pampered plants of parks, front gardens and herbaceous borders, but simply those that exist everywhere and nowhere in particular: the true survivors, the botanical opportunists. In this handy guide, we introduce the most commonplace flowers, shrubs, grasses, mosses and ferns that are to be found on the street, and show the main characteristics by which you can recognise them. 

Soon you’ll be more alert than ever to the rebellious species of tarmac, wall and gutter as they defy weedkiller, climate change and dog wee.

So you can identify the plants you discover in your town as readily as possible, the species are arranged according to their growth form. The book starts with the largest group – herbaceous plants – followed by a few woody plants, grasses, mosses and ferns.

Out in July 2024. I think I will be getting a copy of this book for our library of field guides.