BSBINews - BSBI Archive - Botanical Society of the British Isles

40 Notices - 2010 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships / Excursion to Almerfa - April 2010
NOTICES
2010 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships
We have been asked to draw people's attention
to the call for applications for these
Fellowships. These are available for UK
citizens, to enable them to travel overseas "to
undertake study projects related to their
profession, trade or particular interest". The
current round has ten categories, and applications
need to be made ru!h October. The
categories most likely to be relevant to
botanists might be: 'Adventure, exploration
and leaders of expeditions', 'Education, and
Excursion to Almeria - April 2010
vocational training', 'Environment, food and
rural affairs', and 'Science, engineering and
enterprise'. Grants average over £5,000 each,
covering travel and living expenses for a visit
of 4-8 weeks. Further information can be
found at www.wcmt.org.uk or by contacting
the Winston Churchill Memorial trust, 15
Queen's Gate Terrace, London, SW7 5PR
(020 7584 9315) (email: office@wcmt.
org.uk).
TERESA FARING, Apartado de Correos 59, 39570 Potes, Cantabria, Spain;
(Tel.: +34942735154) (teresa@iberianwildlife.com)
A one-week field meeting in south-eastern Spain
is proposed for spring 2010, to run from Thursday
15 th April to Thursday 22 nd April.
Almerfa is perhaps the most arid region of
Western Europe, experiencing more than 3,100
hours of sunlight and just 250mm of precipitation
annually. Not surprisingly, the vegetation is very
distinctive, harbouring many endemic species.
Of the thousand-odd species of vascular plant
known to occur in the Cabo de Gata natural park,
for example, around 12% are unique to Iberia.
From our base in the fishing village of San
Jose, in the western sector of the Cabo de Gata
park, we are ideally placed to explore all the
principal habitats of the region. Coastal sanddunes
harbour clumps of Ziziphus lotus and
several endemic species of Salsola, parasitized
by the curious Cynomorium coccineum
(Cynomorium), plus Mesembryanthemum
nodiflorum and M. crystallinum (Ice-plant),
Otanthus maritimum (Cottonweed), Frankenia
corymbosa, Limonium sinuatum, Thymelaea
hirsuta and Andryala ragusina, while stony
steppes behind the shore boast Limonium
lobatum, Genista umbellata, Haplophyllum
linifolium and the endemic, winter-flowering
Androcymbium europaeum.
We will also explore the volcanic hinterland of
the park, where the vegetation includes several
plants known only from Cabo de Gata - Ulex
canescens, Teucrium charidemi and Antirrhinum
charidemi - as well as Periploca laevigata,
May tenus senegalensis (May tenus), Phlomis
purpurea ssp. almeriensis, Phlomis lychnitis,
Withania frutescens and the cactus-lilce Caralluma
europaea. Excursions further inland will
take in the badlands of Tabernas - the backdrop
to many a 'Spaghetti Western', where notable
plants include Euzomodendron bourgaeanum,
Limonium insigne, Cistanche phelypaea ssp.
lutea and Lygeum spartum (Albardine) - as well
as the nearby Sierras of Glidor and Los Filabres,
where enclaves of more typically Mediterranean
vegetation can be found.
We will be staying at the Hotel Santuario in the
fishing village of San Jose, where all rooms are
en suite and most have a terrace or balcony. The
cost will be 1,075 € per person, plus a singleroom
supplement of 125 €, to cover half-board
accommodation, picnic lunches, transport by
hired minibus throughout, all entry fees and the
services of the leaders (Teres a Farino and James
Parry), but excluding flights to Almeria and
travel insurance (obligatory). Deposits can be
paid in sterling, and the balance converted to
sterling at the time it is due, using
www.oanda.com. For further details, please
contact me by post, phone or email, as given
above.