Month: May 2026

TY Students Explore Plant Ecophysiology at Trinity Botanic Gardens

Hands-on environmental monitoring and plant physiology activities as part of the Witness Tree Project outreach programme

As part of the ongoing outreach activities of the Witness Tree Project, Dr Leticia Candido and Richard Slevin recently hosted a group of Transition Year students at the Trinity Botanic Gardens, introducing them to the world of plant ecophysiology and field-based environmental research.

Throughout the day, the students took part in a series of hands-on activities exploring how plants interact with their environment and respond to changing conditions. This included measuring stomatal conductance, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and red:far-red (R:FR) light ratios within different canopy environments using scientific field equipment and sensors.

Alongside the practical work, we discussed wider topics including plant stress physiology, canopy microclimates, atmospheric interactions with vegetation, and the influence of environmental conditions on plant function at both the leaf and ecosystem scale. The activities also highlighted the importance of urban vegetation and ecosystem monitoring in the context of climate change.

The workshop aimed to give students practical exposure to ecological field methods and real-time physiological measurements, while also demonstrating how plant science can be used to better understand environmental change. The students were highly engaged throughout the day and showed great curiosity about both the instrumentation and the ecological questions behind the measurements.

by Kamila Kwasniewska

Dr Ailbhe Brazel Awarded Prestigious Research Ireland Pathway Programme Grant

Building climate-resilient crops through research on low oxygen sensing and responses in plants

We are delighted to share that Dr Ailbhe Brazel has recently been awarded a prestigious Research Ireland Pathway Programme grant to investigate low oxygen sensing and responses in plants, with the aim of developing greater climate resilience in crops.

The Research Ireland Pathway Programme is a highly competitive national funding scheme designed to support outstanding early-career researchers in establishing themselves as independent research leaders. With an overall success rate of around 20%, the award represents a major achievement and supports researchers in building their own research programmes, including the supervision of postgraduate students.

Ailbhe has been working as a Teaching Fellow on the TERRAFORM Project since August 2024 and will now move on to develop her own independent research programme as a Research Assistant Professor in the Botany Discipline at Trinity College Dublin.

As part of the programme, Ailbhe is currently recruiting for a 3-month Research Assistant position and a funded 4- year PhD student to join the project.

Huge congratulations to Ailbhe on this fantastic achievement – we are excited to see this research programme grow and develop.

by Kamila Kwasniewska

Plant Climate Lab at the Botany–Zoology Postgraduate Symposium 2026

On April 30th and May 1st, the annual Botany–Zoology Postgraduate Research Symposium 2026 took place at Trinity College Dublin, bringing together postgraduate researchers from across the School of Natural Sciences to share research spanning ecology, social science, zoology, and botany.

On the second day of the symposium, Dr Sate Ahmad delivered the keynote presentation on ecological restoration – the process of assisting the recovery of native ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. The talk highlighted both the scientific and practical importance of restoration in responding to biodiversity loss and environmental change.

Plant Climate Lab postgraduate researcher Siddiq Muhammad also presented a 10-minute talk on the PlantChem Project: Investigating the Shift in Plant Chemistry Due to Climate Change – A Multidisciplinary Approach.

The presentation explored how rising atmospheric CO₂ and climate change may be altering the elemental composition of plants themselves — the fundamental “building blocks” of plant life. Using the same plant species collected from the same sites across 24 locations and seven major biomes, the study compared historic samples (1989–1991) with modern collections (2013–2015).

The findings revealed striking shifts in plant “elementomes”, with elemental composition changes ranging from 3% to as high as 61% over just a few decades. The greatest changes were observed in subtropical deserts, temperate rainforests, and dry tropical seasonal forests, highlighting how environmental change is physically restructuring plant chemistry on a global scale. These hidden shifts may have major implications for ecosystem functioning, herbivore nutrition, and global nutrient cycling.

The talk was followed by a lively Q&A session and received excellent feedback from the symposium organisers.

It was wonderful to see such a diverse and inspiring range of postgraduate presentations throughout the symposium, and a pleasure to reconnect with colleagues and friends across the School.

by Kamila Kwasniewska

Nature as Medicine - Evaluating Forest Bathing for Student Wellbeing

Forest bathing at Trinity College Botanic Gardens as a growing green prescription for student mental health

In the quiet corners of Trinity College Botanic Gardens, Kamila Kwasniewska has been guiding forest bathing sessions as part of a nature-based wellbeing initiative for students.
Offered as a form of “green prescription”, the sessions were available through Student Counselling Services, allowing students to engage with nature as part of their overall wellbeing support. Rooted in the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, or forest bathing, the practice invites participants to slow down and connect with the natural environment through guided sensory awareness rather than physical exertion.
Over the past three years, the programme has developed from a small pilot group into a structured series of sessions embedded within student support services. Preliminary findings suggest that even a single session can have a measurable effect. Participants consistently report increased feelings of calm, reduced mental fatigue, and improved clarity following the experience.
A recurring theme in participant feedback is a shift in attention – from the demands of academic life to a more grounded awareness of the present moment, including the textures, colours, and subtle dynamics of plant life within the gardens. The setting itself appears to play a key role. As a curated yet biodiverse environment, the Botanic Gardens offer both accessibility and immersion, creating a sense of stepping away from the city’s pace.
The project is currently expanding its research component, focusing on measuring changes in wellbeing and nature connection before and after sessions. Early trends are promising and align with a growing body of research highlighting the benefits of nature-based interventions for mental health.
In a time when both student wellbeing and human–nature relationships are under increasing pressure, this initiative highlights the potential of botanical gardens as spaces not only for education and conservation, but also for restoration and connection.

by Kamila Kwasniewska

Plant/Climate Interaction Lab
Botany Department, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland

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