Author Archives: Alastair Culham

About Alastair Culham

A professional botanist and biologist with an interest in promoting biological knowledge and awareness to all.

For more on KiteSite see SPARK*, the student newspaper: http://sparknewspaper.co.uk/news/students-and-staff-develop-whiteknights-biodiversity-app/

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TLDF – Whiteknights Biodiversity App

At the start of term a group of five academics representing five different academic schools in three faculties offered six Teaching and Learning Development Fund student placements for the development and testing of the Whiteknights Biodiversity App. Yesterday the team … Continue reading

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R is for Russula

My morning walk through the Wilderness tells me Summer has gone and Autumn is here.  Next to the path is a large (ca. 15cm diameter) red capped mushroom with a white stipe, white gills, no milky sap, no collar and … Continue reading

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The Secret Garden

In 2003 I became the Assistant Warden at Bridges Hall.  One of my responsibilities was to help maintain the walled garden that had been manged by the Hall since 1966.  The garden is surrounded by a high Victorian brick wall … Continue reading

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Site Flora for Whiteknights Park published by BSBI

The Botanical Society of the British Isles publish online documents called ‘Site Floras‘ aimed at providing a document that can be the basis for a repeatable survey of the plants in any given area.  The important elements of a site … Continue reading

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False teeth in the Harris Garden.

The Toothwort, Lathraea squamaria, is a curious parasitic plant in the Orobanchaceae (Broomrape family) that may have gained its English name due to the flower spikes looking like rows of teeth.  The Latin name is perhaps rather more informative of … Continue reading

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The University has been awarded a First Class Award in the People & Planet Green League 2013, the UK’s only comprehensive and independent green ranking of universities.  

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BioBlitz brings in the crowds

Since 9pm last night the Reading Uni BioBlitz has attracted a huge amount of interest from local naturalists and from our own students.  Dr Becky Thomas has been busy organising everything from bat and moth walks to lichen and grass … Continue reading

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The Bioblitz has started

The first displays have now been set up in the Harborne Building foyer. Berkshire Reptile and Amphibian Group (BRAG), Berkshire Ornithological Club and Berks and South Bucks Bat Group are already in place. This is the beginning of a very … Continue reading

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While checking the progress of the bee orchids this morning I noticed that the re-seeded area where building work has been happening has a thriving population of what looks like young Phacelia tanacetifolia. While this might be an exciting new … Continue reading

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