Trees as Climate Warriors - Dublin's Long-Term Study on Trees, Air Quality, and Carbon Sequestration
Third Year of the monitoring project "Witness Tree" in Trinity College Botanic Gardens & National Botanical Gardens
Researchers at Plant Climate Lab entered the third year of the 30-year-long “Witness Trees” project to study how trees can help fight climate change and improve air quality. Using the mix of native and non-native trees, the project collects long-term data on carbon capture, air filtration, and ecosystem health in Dublin. This year, trees from both Trinity College Botanic Gardens and the National Botanical Gardens were included, expanding the study to North Dublin.
Led by Prof. Jennifer McElwain, with contributions from Dr Sate Ahmad, Dr Christos Chondrogiannis, Dr Michelle Murray, and Erasmus Master students Tina Monteiro and Morgane Weissenburger, the research aims to identify tree species most effective at absorbing pollutants and requesting carbon. The findings will provide valuable insights for future urban planning, helping cities adapt to environmental stresses. By focusing on species’ resilience and performance under varying conditions, the project not only supports Ireland’s climate goals but also offers insights into how urban forests can aid in addressing climate change worldwide.
For more information check the Witness Trees project website and read more online papers:
Our Erasmus Adventure - Botany, Friendship, and New Skills at Trinity College
Our Erasmus Adventure - Botany, Friendship, and New Skills at Trinity College
Hi guys, we’re Tina and Morgane, two French students who completed our six-month master’s internship at the Trinity College Botanical Department. This internship was our first international experience and allows us to improve our English skills while learning a lot about botany.
We’ve been warmly welcomed by the entire team, which is quite diverse in botanical science and ecology, and allowed to learn about different fields of botany. The team was always there to help when needed and we had the chance to attend social events outside work. The botanical garden is a very peaceful place that we thoroughly enjoyed. We loved working in this environment and having the opportunity to take breaks by walking through the garden or sitting quietly in the arboretum to enjoy a ray of sunshine. It was also fascinating to observe the changes in the garden over the seasons, from winter to summer.
This internship allowed us to develop our autonomy and initiative, especially by adjusting our projects based on the skills we wanted to acquire. Working primarily independently taught us the importance of organization when handling long-term projects.
The experience of living in another country has enabled us to discover another culture, meet new people and discover amazing landscapes. It developed our self-confidence, independence, resourcefulness but also our English skills. The experience also enabled us to step out of our comfort zone and do things we’d never done in France.
Being an Erasmus student in this team was a great experience that helped us shape our professional path and explore a field that really interested us. Doing this experience together helped us to support each other while sharing very good souvenirs.
If you are a person who wants to meet people from around the world, improve your plant biology skills, and enhance your English, this is the right place for you!
