Imagine losing 7 million plant specimens in a fire. Kew’s plant store (herbarium) faces this risk. The ‘server room' as it’s known, holds 250 years worth of international plant data. To lose generations of passion, love, care and meticulous attention …
My organisation is going through change. This really is not unusual as for the majority of my public sector career so far there has been a series of large, individual “change programmes” rolled out and implemented. However the difference with …
Last Friday marked a milestone for me, as on that day twenty years ago, I walked through the doors of MAFF Central Science Laboratory (CSL) in Harpenden, to start my new job as a plant virology diagnostician. Plenty has changed …
July 2016 saw the publication of the evidence report for the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017 (CCRA2017) by the Adaptation Sub-Committee (ASC) of the Committee on Climate Change. Their report provides an independent assessment of the risks and opportunities …
On Wednesday 7 September, the first Defra Science and Innovation Fair is being held in Nobel House Atrium, where scientists from across the group will be showcasing their work. You can see a full list of stalls at the event …
As the Rio Olympics finish (congratulations, Hollie Webb) we continue to sprint...[there's a joke in there –Ed.] Let's hear it for @HollieWebb1 from @DefraGovUK, winning goal scorer in #Rio2016 hockey - fab! @HeadUKCivServ @andrealeadsom @theresecoffey — Clare Moriarty (@ClareMoriarty) August …
...their user needs. Finally, we met Mark who likes the RAF Tornado. He showed us an alpha version of the live fish movements service. It's a responsive web service which...
We spent 12 months trying to publish 8000 new open datasets which was fun and stressful. We had decided whatever the outcome, we would set aside time to reflect and re-energise – a 'firebreak'. This was also a chance to unpick …
