Mad about Nature and Mad about Physics

This year's edition of the programme Mad about Science, of the Catalonia-La Pedrera Foundation, which targets upper secondary pupils, can count on the involvement of ICTA-UAB, the Department of Physics, ICN2, the IFAE, the Institute of Space Sciences and the ALBA Synchrotron.

18/09/2015

For the second year running, the UAB's Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) will be organising the course Mad about Nature, part of the programme Mad about Science of the Catalonia-La Pedrera Foundation, with the aim of enriching young people's knowledge of the natural environment and the latest study methods, and of putting them in touch with top researchers in this field. The ICTA will have the support of several scientific institutions from all over Catalonia, and also of MónNatura Delta de l´Ebre and the Espai Natura Muntanya d´Alinyà.

The course studies the physical environment (climatology, geology and hydrology) and the different types of organisms (flora and fauna) and systems (continental, terrestrial and aquatic, and marine), and also focuses on the main tools used in nature management and conservation and on the use of communication and participation techniques to pass all this knowledge on to society as a whole.

From February to November 2016 the pupils will be offered morning lessons and visits to laboratories and research centres all over Catalonia, plus day-long field trips to observe the natural environment and get first-hand knowledge of the main research projects under way. Pupils wishing to base their final school projects on a topic dealt with on the Mad about Nature programme will be assigned a tutor for their projects from among the teachers on the course or ICTA researchers.

The 2015 edition of Mad about Nature is under way and will end in December. The next three sessions will consist of a trip to the Muntanya d´Alinyà to see how the black vulture is being reintroduced there, another trip to the Serra de Collserola Natural Park to learn more about the protection of species and natural areas, and a lesson on participation and communication in science projects.

Meanwhile, there is a new course in this year's Mad about Science programme: Mad about Physics. This course is an initiative of the Institute of High Energy Physics (IFAE) and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), and it will be taught in 2016, by researchers from the IFAE and the ICN2, with support from the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC/IEEC), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the ALBA Synchrotron and MónNatura Pirineus.

In Mad about Physics.the students will be able to work on two branches of physics that study matter on opposing scales: the Universe and the Nanoworld. This will give them a clearer idea of what this research is all about. And all this in one place, the UAB campus, where the participants can not only study but also visit researchers and research centres-

The programme Mad about Science 2016 is an initiative of the Catalonia-La Pedrera Foundation aimed at upper-secondary pupils in Catalonia with an interest and abilities in the sciences. Enrolments are open until 14 October. The programme seeks to encourage talented young scientists to delve more deeply into scientific theory and methods in the different fields that it covers.

Classes take place on Saturdays in the centre itself, allowing the pupils to work alongside the researchers and so get a taste of science in an international research centre. They gain practical experience in the latest methodologies and set themselves up for a career in their chosen field.

More information:
http://www.fundaciocatalunya-lapedrera.com/ca/bojos-ciencia