Elaboration of homemade liqueurs and jams and differentiate types of plants are the first two proposals offered by the Botanical Garden in this year's spring programme.  The first course offers a playful approach to the ethnobotany of the Valencian lands, rich in fruits and aromatic plants of all kinds with which homemade products will be made.  On the other hand, the second is a practical course to deepen the knowledge of Valencian flora, the most common species and characteristics, while learning to use keys of determination.

In the month of May, other suggestive formations related to the plants will be given.  For example, a course on the gardens of the city of València with which those attending will discover the vegetation and landscape architecture of different green areas of the city: Monforte, La Rambleta, Central Park... Looking at them closely allows us to analyse part of the history of gardening in València, its styles, uses and usefulness.  It also updates the training in cyanotipia, an ancient photographic technique linked to botany. On this occasion, its application on textile supports will be explored in order to allow the personalisation of clothing and, at the same time, to encourage reusing consumer objects. In addition, a course is offered on recreational botany, to make cosmetic and cleaning products, and another on the cultivation of orchids, the plants that produce the most fascination today. How to make them grow healthy and bloom spectacularly are the objectives of this course.

 Illustrating Science 7

In June, the Botanical Garden of the Universitat de Valèncioa hosts the seventh edition of an intensive and specialised course:  Illustrating science 7. With professor such as  Miquel Baidal, Illustrascience Coordinator, and Clara Cerviño, biologist and scientific illustrator, the final objective is to provide the participants with the necessary tools for the creation of professional scientific illustrations.

Illustration has been part of botanical expeditions for centuries. Its mission was to record all unknown species and understand their anatomy and behaviour. Nowadays, although we may think that photographs fulfil this mission, we must bear in mind that they do not always allow us to analyse in detail the texture or colour of an individual or to represent a species in a general way. It is the scientific illustration who can take care of this, as well as show extinct species or processes that happen over time, such as the life cycle of a plant, in a single image.

Scientific illustration is a discipline whose purpose is to synthesize and represent information in order to rigorously and clearly transmit the work of research personnel and to make their understanding more enjoyable. It allows, therefore, the visual approach to a scientific concept in a precise, clear and objective way.  To train professionals in this field is the objective of this intensive and specialized course that combines face-to-face and distance learning.

More information: http://links.uv.es/vq0qw7T