|
Catherine and Iain setting up in the rain |
For us, Green Man Festival with the BES roadies kicked off
in true style – a morning car journey in a VW polo packed so full with kit we
didn’t have room to swing a bumblebee, let alone a cat. However this all added
to the fun of the voyage, and as we approached the Green Man festival in the picturesque
Brecon Beacons, we knew that an awesome weekend of science engaging,
socialising and scattered showers was just on the horizon.
|
Beautiful green surroundings for
the stall |
The team set up our stall in Einstein’s Garden, an area of
the festival set aside for imaginative,
creative and informative stalls and showpieces, so the Sex & Bugs &
Rock ‘n Roll team were right at home. After a slow start, news spread of our
bee colony, kit swabbing and poo games and we were swamped with revellers, all
keen to find out more about our science.
As the festival progressed, not only did a steady flow of
the people from all age groups come and see us, but it became apparent that we
were getting many return visits from our ‘regulars’ too. These ‘regulars’ were
mainly bug-hunting extraordinaire kids, who probably spent more of their weekend
catching insects for our stall ID than time spent with their families or
listening to the music acts. After routine trips into the wilderness, the
regular crowd returned with specimens of pond skaters, stag beetles, garden
tiger moth caterpillars, bush crickets and countless other fascinating
creatures.
|
Kate, Caitlin and Hannah -
with signed roadies shirt |
Other highlights included swabbing the Green Man for
microbial life, dressing up as a giant
cockroach only to be attacked by 5-year olds wielding toy swords, and stalking
writer Caitlin Moran in order to get a signed T-shirt.
|
Tom's cockroach suit proved to be
immensely popular |
The highlight of the weekend was the Saturday night, when
all nine of the roadie team raved it up at the ‘Denture Disco’ – a DJ booth
located in a large mock-up open mouth, pounding out tunes in the middle of a
field until the early hours. It was immense, and a great way to let our hair
down after engaging with what seemed like the entire festival population in the
previous days.
|
Swabbing the Green Man |
All in all, being part of the BES roadies was such a great
opportunity for PhD students like us to get out there and start engaging with
the public about issues that really matter to us. Finally, the ultimate
highlight of the weekend was when one member of the team got asked “Is it wrong
that I find you weirdly attractive when you talk about poo?” Timeless.
Post by
Iain Gould and Catherine Baxendale
|
The Green Man Team from left to right
Back: Iain, Will, the bees, Catherine, Holly, Tom
Front: Helen, Leanne, Kate, Hannah |
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