Pollination expert to appear on Gardeners’ World special
Published Tuesday 23rd November 2010
A Reader in Biodiversity at The University of Northampton will be one of the experts appearing in a BBC2 Gardeners’ World special this week (Friday 26 November).
Dr Jeff Ollerton, School of Science and Technology, filmed the 'Science in the Garden' special with regular presenter Carol Klein in August 2009, following an independent approach from the BBC who knew of his research work on flowers and pollinators.
The programme will deal with how an understanding of the science behind horticulture can enhance everyone's enjoyment of gardens. One of the themes discussed by Jeff is the suitability of garden flowers for providing food for our declining pollinators.
Filming with the BBC team was alot of fun and hopefully the programme demonstrates how research carried out in universities like Northampton can inform our understanding of both the naturalworld and of our gardens
Dr Jeff Ollerton
Vital research is being undertaken by The University of Northampton into the conservation of crop and wild flower pollinating insects, following funding by The Finnis Scott Foundation. The three year project is studying pollinator diversity in the gardens of large English country houses, relating this both to the horticultural continuity of those gardens and to factors such as the availability of suitable habitats in the surrounding landscape.
The programme will be broadcast at 8.30pm and a teaser clip is available online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00c8p0j