Staffordshire WI given guided tour of world class forest research facility
Ladies from Staffordshire Women's Institutes got a crash course on climate change at The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) near Norbury Junction.
The research facility is collecting data from trees exposed to increased carbon dioxide which will be collated over a ten year period from its inception in 2017.
Deanne Brettle, a member of the Birmingham University's team which runs the facility, gave the WI group a guided tour explaining the forest environment from photosynthesis, tree growth, leaf litter, soil microbes, plants, fungi, insects and wildlife.
Karen Sulway, chairman of the Staffordshire WI, said: "We know that the climate emergency is said to be the greatest threat to the planet and we are looking to science as the way to avert disaster. But did you know that important science is happening right here in Staffordshire to help with the understanding of how trees will react to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
"The visit was organised by the Staffordshire Federation of Women's Institutes Education and Public Affairs Committee and was a fascinating insight into the complex subject of how trees and their leaves will evolve and impact on other facets of the environment. It brought home to the group how everything is intertwined and how every action has many effects."
