This interactive event explores seed dispersal strategies through playful competitions that mimic natural mechanisms. Participants examine how wind, animals, and gravity shape seed spread and survival, comparing adaptations such as aerodynamic structures, adhesive coatings, and mass traits. The Seed Olympics frames aerial acrobatics, gravity marathons and adhesive “darts” as experimental scenarios to investigate ecological functions, evolutionary trade-offs and seed fitness, revealing how dispersal influences plant distribution and community dynamics.
Explore the hidden world of autumn fungi as you walk through leaf litter and shaded paths, spotting fruiting bodies visible to the naked eye. Feel the earthy aromas and study the varied shapes, colors and textures that reveal different lifestyles—decomposers, symbionts with trees, and more. Through close observation you’ll learn basic morphology and how to differentiate species while appreciating their vital roles in ecosystems. An immersive, sensory experience that connects you with life unfolding beneath our feet.
In English.
Baroness Julie Caroline de Rothschild’s 19th‑century greenhouse, built in the 1880s from Canadian Pitch Pine, presents a living archive of botanical rarities. Succulents, palms, citrus and orchids stand alongside the iron-and-glass architecture, revealing intersections between horticulture, material craft and colonial-era plant collecting. The greenhouse’s preserved structure and curated plant collections evoke histories of taste, conservation and botanical display. Gardeners who tend the living holdings continue a dialogue between historical legacy and contemporary stewardship.
Andreas Ensslin, scientist at the Geneva Botanic Garden, presents current research on seed conservation and genetic diversity in threatened plant species across changing climates.
This guided session examines challenges seed banks face as climates shift, investigating viability, evolutionary mismatch, and the limits of long-term frozen storage. Ensslin discusses implications for restoration, adaptive strategies, and how conservation practice must respond to ensure seeds remain useful for future ecosystems.
Ages 12 and up. In French.
Culture, curated weekly.
Event removed from your CoolAgenda.
Your password has been reset successfully. You can now log in with your new password.
We’ve sent you a password reset email to the address provided. Please check your inbox and/or spam folder.
Please check your inbox for a verification email to complete your sign-up.
