Words by Hannah Summers
Biology Week begins on October 16 – a whole week dedicated to celebrating all things flora and fauna. Admittedly it is just another national day of something to keep track of, but it could also be a great opportunity to do something different this week. The following four activities could be the break you need from the library to think biology, even just for an hour!
Check out the frogs at Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum reopened in February this year and boasts a huge array of rooms with all kinds of historical and scientific artefacts on display, but the vivarium may be the best. There is an amazing selection of living frogs and reptiles from all around the world, in enclosures which mimic their natural environments. My personal favourites are the poisonous dart frogs, of which there are multiple different species at the museum. Their bright colours deter predators as they signal toxicity in their natural habitat and are certainly something to check out.
Wander through the vivarium and you can find a room full of natural history, containing numerous current, and some historical, species (these ones aren’t alive unfortunately). The Manchester Museum, especially the vivarium, is definitely a spot you shouldn’t miss during your time at uni. Best of all, entry is completely free, so you can dip in and out throughout the year with friends, family or even on your own to admire everything on offer.
Visit Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens
Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens are perfect for more than just Biology Week. A beautiful place to go for a walk with a friend and catch up, to bring your family to show off a slightly quieter part of the city, or just a great setting to clear your mind while listening to music. For those (few) of you who haven’t yet checked out the gardens, I would recommend starting off with the rock garden and then getting lost from there. Located in Didsbury, you could even stop for a coffee or have a browse in charity shops nearby, making it a great way to spend a day and explore other parts of Manchester.
Volunteer at the Firs Botanical Gardens
If you’d prefer to get more hands on, then you can volunteer at the university’s own botanical gardens. They accept volunteers throughout the year to help with reviving the vegetable garden. From weeding, planting and watering the plots, to categorising and labelling the different plants, there is lots to get involved with. This could be a great way to meet new people and take part in something completely separate from your degree (unless of course you are a plant science student in which case I don’t have to do much convincing).
Listen to an Royal Society of Biology talk
The Royal Society of Biology are running some free online talks with experts about a range of topics such as tiger conservation, fungal diseases, and mushroom science. This may appeal more to the pre-existing biology nerds among you, but you may be surprised to find a real passion for fungi (they are cooler than they sound I promise!).
These talks are run by experts in their field and could give you a deeper insight into some topics or questions you may have previously asked, or introduce you to some of the research and conservation going on at the moment. And even better, most of the talks are taking place on zoom so you can even enrich your biology knowledge while making a cup of tea and rotting away in bed.
And lastly, continuing the rotting in bed theme, or if you are stuck in the library reaching deadlines, we’ve got you covered. The RSB are launching a new podcast, Biosphere, which will consist of interviews covering all the latest in the Biology world. This could be a great way of collecting some cool facts to bore your housemates with or give you something to listen to whilst running errands.
Hopefully at least one of these activities will motivate you to celebrate all the fascinating things going on in biology or just act as a reminder to get outside and get back in touch with nature.
