Tag Archive for: Plants
You probably already know this: the Jardin des Plantes is a unique place in Montpellier to relax. But did you know that it’s also a place for discovery and exchange? The botanists and gardeners take this role to heart and organize numerous events throughout the year to help you discover the garden from this perspective. This is particularly true right now with“Summer Tours.”Finally, the Jardin des Plantes serves an educational purpose year-round—a mission that’s really taking off, reconnecting with its roots (teaching botany) while embracing modern objectives and tools. To reinforce this educational aspect, one of our staff members, Denis Nespoulous, has created interactive trails to let you discover the garden as you’ve never seen it before!
The Origins of the Connected Trails at the Jardin des Plantes
The trail known as “SMART BOTA” was created in 2018 for the Tela Botanica association’s introductory MOOC on botany.
This association, founded in 1999 and comprising a broad network of French-speaking botanists, aims to:
- to promote the exchange of information among botanists,
- facilitate projects using digital tools,
- produce copyright-free data on flora,
- raise awareness and provide training in botany.
What are "connected trails"?
The “Connected Trails” are information sheets available to everyone and spread across several routes. They can be accessed via a QR code using a smartphone or tablet. These allow you to explore the garden’s treasures at your own pace. The four different routes are posted at the entrance to the Jardin des Plantes: simply follow the guide, or—if you prefer—lose yourself in the garden’s paths.
These botanical fact sheets provide a variety of information about the plant you scan, such as a description, its uses, and its habitat. It’s a fun and engaging way to learn more about the flora around us!
The Garden's Five Connected Paths
For now, there are five connected trails within the Jardin des Plantes. These may change over time thanks to your collaboration.
The SMART’BOTA Trail
The second connected trail at the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier, and the first trail designed for educational purposes, it was created in 2018 for Tela Botanica’s introductory MOOC on botany of which Denis serves as the course coordinator. The course aims to introduce enthusiasts to botany. It features about sixty species and introduces you to the main plant families.
The SMART’PHARMA Trail
An extension of the first “SMART’BOTA” trail; this trail was created for students at the Montpellier School of Pharmacy. Indeed, a wide variety of plants can be used for therapeutic and medicinal purposes. This trail allows students students to combine the theoretical aspects of their courses with practical ones by directly observing the plants within the Garden. This educational trail is also accessible to everyone. It features approximately sixty plant species.
The "Remarkable Trees" Trail
This trail, created in 2014, is the oldest trail in the Jardin des Plantes. It allows you to discover all the secrets of the Jardin des Plantes’s tall trees. It’s also the only trail you can explore without your smartphone, as it features information panels, but feel free to scan the QR codes on the signs to unlock all the secrets of botany! This interactive trail features 25 tree species selected from among the garden’s most remarkable and oldest trees.
The HERBES FOLLES Trail
This trail, created for Tela Botanica’s “Herbes Folles” MOOC (the second edition is scheduled for this fall!), aims to help you rediscover these plants that are pejoratively referred to as “weeds.” They, too, have their benefits, and beyond their drawbacks—which we certainly don’t deny—they also play an important role in our environment. The wild herbs in the garden invite you to reflect on issues of biodiversity. This trail will help you see these “weeds” in a whole new light…
The " OBSERVATOIRE DES SAISONS" Trail
The last trail is somewhat unique, as it is part of a citizen science. Get involved in this CNRS program by observing the 12 species along the trail. Its goal is also to raise awareness about global warming by introducing us to phenology (the observation of periodic events, in this case involving plants). At the entrance to the Jardin des Plantes, you can ask for a specially designed form where you can record your observations. This data will help scientists better understand and monitor climate change and its associated challenges.
And for those who are curious, check out the app
If you’d like to explore Montpellier’s Jardin des Plantes further using digital tools, you can download the SMART’ FLORE app on all your Android devices. The app offers:
- Trails near you
- Plants geolocated to the nearest meter
- Access to all the botanical profiles created as part of this collaborative project
Update as of September 29, 2020 – The UM Thursdays events scheduled for October 6 and 8 have unfortunately been canceled due to the current health situation. Following their launch at the Arnaud de Villeneuve Campus in January, UM Thursdays are returning toward the end of 2020 for a series of new lectures on health. Attend the “UM Thursdays” sessions at the Faculty of Pharmacy campus as well as at the Orangerie in the Jardin des Plantes.
A new series of lectures on health
UM Thursdays are back in 2020! Open to the public, these lectures offer an opportunity to learn more about new technologies and teaching methods in health care, as well as to expand your knowledge of medicinal plants and aromatherapy! These are just some of the topics that will be covered throughout the year by faculty members from our university.
Update as of September 29, 2020 – The UM Thursdays scheduled for October 6 and 8 have unfortunately been canceled due to the current health situation.
Tuesday, October 6, 2020 – Medicinal Plants
As far back as we can go in time, thanks to ancient manuscripts, the future of humanity seems to have always been closely linked to plants. The reputation of the earliest physicians (beginning with Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, 450 years B.C.) was most often built on their extensive knowledge of plants and the treatments they derived from them. Logically, then, the plants used to formulate these new remedies (“medicines” = “pharmakon”) were termed “medicinal.” But what remains of this historical and ancestral definition? What does it still mean to people today, and what is the significance of “medicinal plants” in 2020?
Thursday, October 8, 2020 – The Use of Aromatic Plants: From Perfume to Medicine
One event, two lectures! Learn more about the Jardin des Plantes, as well as plants and fragrances!
● 3:00 p.m.: The Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier, the oldest botanical garden in France – by Thierry Lavabre-Bertrand
● 4:00 p.m.: The Use of Aromatic Plants: From Perfume to Medicine – by Sylvie Munier
Due to the current health situation, everyone is required to wear a mask.
Worth (Re)Discovering – Thursday, January 16, 2020 – Medical Education: Pathways to Innovation
“There’s never a ‘first time’ with a patient” for a healthcare professional. Even though there’s always a first time, it’s important to prepare future healthcare professionals through scenario-based training—whether for technical procedures, interpersonal skills, interprofessional communication, or preparing for emergency situations where every action must be perfectly coordinated.
Inspired by aerospace standards, healthcare simulation platforms are an essential tool for developing the technical and interpersonal skills of future healthcare professionals, complementing clinical rotations with patients. This first edition of “UM Thursdays,” held as part of the Faculty of Medicine’s 800th-anniversary celebrations, offers an opportunity to explore these remarkable tools while touring the Arnaud de Villeneuve Health Campus and to gain insight into the challenges posed by these educational techniques, which remain fully aligned with the Faculty of Medicine’s philosophy of placing the human being at the center of its concerns.
Below is the schedule of today’s lectures, which will begin at 3:00 p.m. in the Rondelet Amphitheater!
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A Simulation-Based Learning Platform: Just a Gimmick? – by Blaise Debien
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Research on Simulation-Based Teaching – by Valérie Courtin
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Situational-Based Teaching: Assessment Using the C3 Framework – by Philippe Guilpain
