Writtle University College Issue Five
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Arena Writtle University College Issue Five An introduction from Dr Stephen Waite — Vice-Chancellor I take great pride in welcoming you to the new-look, latest edition of Arena. This year has proven to be a milestone year for Writtle as we have achieved University College status and launched our new Writtle University College brand. Although our name has changed, the quality and innovation certainly hasn’t. Arena continues to showcase the dynamic careers of our alumni, the tremendous achievements of our students, as well as the innovative teaching delivered by our staff. This edition of Arena focuses on the huge diversity of employment opportunities available to our graduates, as well as the international impact they and our staff have made. From designing golf courses in South Africa to equine physiotherapy in Dubai, from entrepreneurial floristry shops in South Korea to agricultural consultation in Uzbekistan, from conservation research in Mongolia to working with the USA Olympic team in Brazil. As a University College with nearly 125 years of experience, Writtle continues to produce high-calibre graduates who are educated and supported by industry-relevant and experienced academic staff. This partnership works tre- mendously well and enables our students to flourish whilst studying with us. We are a specialist and ambitious institution, and this is mirrored by our staff and students. At a time where our subject areas have never been more important, Arena will provide you with a refreshing outlook on the scope of work available. I hope you enjoy reading and are left feeling inspired. 1 CONTENTS 04–05 Bringing Little Writtle & Pink Power to life 62–65 Tackling the issue of biodiversity loss and change 06–11 The rise and rise of cycling 66–67 Crafting landscapes 12–23 Designing for sustainability 68–69 Protecting the Little Terns 24–25 Creating a blog that blooms around the world 70–75 Ask the experts: What makes Veterinary 26–27 Working with Team USA Physiotherapy so popular? 28–33 Talking Postharvest Technology 76–83 Teaching future gardeners and food wastage 84–87 The future of farming 34–37 The story behind the first degree awarded by Writtle 88–89 Designing for Busted, Beyoncé & Bruce Springsteen 38–45 Conquering YouTube 90–99 Changing an industry 46–48 Creating international floral designs 100–101 Bringing living bars to the UK’s 49 Turning a passion into start-up success biggest festivals 50–51 Reinvigorating a rural economy 102–103 A farewell from Alan Titchmarsh 52–61 Shaping land-based education 2 3 AS THE FIRST COMMERCIALISED PLANT TO WHAT ROLE DID STUDENTS PLAY BE BRED HERE AT WRITTLE, HOW DID LITTLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS? Bringing Little Writtle WRITTLE START LIFE? Aside from the students who took part Illustration Little Writtle had its beginnings as a Kate Cronin Kate in the plant breeding classes, two alumni teaching demonstration for horticulture played a major role in getting the plants & Pink Power to Life students taking plant breeding classes. commercialised. It started when one of them, Sexual reproduction in plants generates who manages a garden centre, attended an genetic variation, so if two plants are crossed Open Day. I showed him our plants and he told then all of the resulting seedlings will develop me that he no longer sold Osteospermums. He into plants that are different. It’s the same explained that hardy Osteospermums tended reason why we all look different. to grow too large for small gardens and did not I chose Hardy Osteospermum for the flower for very long each year. This made me demonstration as I like these showy, summer think that one of the very compact plants we flowering plants. Osteospermums rarely set had bred (Little Writtle) might be of interest seed naturally as the flowers are self-sterile. to the nursery stock industry. However, I had two different varieties in my We had plant trials with one major garden growing next to each other — these company for nearly two years. They were still varieties had formed some seeds, which were deliberating when another of my old students then germinated in the plant breeding classes. contacted me to say his company wanted The students and I particularly liked some to promote Little Writtle and go straight to A NEW FLOWER COLOUR. A ‘WHITE LITTLE WRITTLE’ WOULD BE NICE. BE ‘WHITE COLOUR. A WOULD WRITTLE’ LITTLE FLOWER NEW A of the new plants we had produced and these the marketing stage. This offer was too good were maintained by taking cuttings from the to refuse as it meant we had produced our WITH BUT FORM DWARF ANOTHER RAISE TO IS AIM OUR plants. Two of these plants were named Little first new plant. Production of Little Writtle is Writtle and Pink Power. now being undertaken by Hargreaves Plants in Cambridgeshire, who then supply garden WHAT’S THE REACTION BEEN LIKE TO LITTLE centre chains and mail order companies. WRITTLE FROM A MARKET PERSPECTIVE? Both Little Writtle and Pink Power were Little Writtle has generated a lot of interest included when we started trials with from the industry. There are currently further “ Hargreaves Plants, but Little Writtle was their trials with two major garden centre chains “ favoured plant and was promoted by the and 2017 should see the major launch of Little company. However, plant and seed company Writtle. In January 2016, Hargreaves Plants Unwins preferred Pink Power and now have A Q&A with John Cullum exhibited Little Writtle on their stand at IPM this variety for sale on their website, so it was Essen in Germany, which is the largest plant nice to get this second variety into fair in Europe. One sizeable order was placed production too. by a French company. We’re currently applying for Community Plant Breeders’ Rights, which WITH LITTLE WRITTLE AND PINK POWER will give us legal protection for Little Writtle BOTH SUCCESSFULLY COMMERCIALISED, within Europe. If we are successful, WHAT’S NEXT? horticultural companies will only be able to For many years, horticulture students propagate Little Writtle with a licence from us. have germinated more Osteospermum seeds to look for other promising new plants. Several hundreds of plants later, we have not been able to produce another plant to rival Little Writtle Writtle’s first commercialised plants, Little Writtle and or Pink Power. We will continue to germinate more Pink Power, may have been bred on campus, but their Osteospermum seeds using Little Writtle as the mother plant and other varieties as the pollen story began in Horticulture Lecturer John Cullum’s source. Our aim is to raise another dwarf form but with a new flower colour. A ‘White Little garden. He explains how a teaching demonstration Writtle’ would be nice. in a plant breeding class, along with help from two alumni, brought them to life, to market and to Europe’s largest plant fair. UK & Germany 04 05 The Rise and Rise of Cycling UK A Q&A with Mark Walker When Mark Walker isn’t busy managing the FdSc Cycling Performance course, he’s training the riders to win accolades including the world hour record and women’s masters track titles. He charts the astronomical rise in popularity of cycling and explains how his coaching helps to influence the highly successful course at Writtle. 06 07 IT’S ALL THOSE MOMENTS“ WHERE YOU SEE HOW STUDENTS ON THE COURSE HAVE LEARNT SOMETHING NEW AND HOW THEY’VE DEVELOPED AS PEOPLE. THEY ENCOURAGE ME“ TO COME INTO WORK EVERY DAY. SINCE BRADLEY WIGGINS’ SUCCESS AT THE 2012 riding, and that can be in blazing sunshine or HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT YOU’RE SPENDING AS A COACH, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THERE ARE MANY, MANY HOURS OF JUST SITTING ON A BIKE AND RIDING, AND THAT CAN BE IN BLAZING SUNSHINE OR DRIVING DRIVING OR SUNSHINE BLAZING IN BE CAN THAT AND RIDING, AND BIKE A ON SITTING JUST OF HOURS MANY MANY, ARE THERE TOUR DE FRANCE AND LONDON OLYMPICS, THE driving rain or who knows what else. It’s tough. TIME AT WRITTLE ON THE COURSE WHILE ALSO SOME OF YOUR PROUDEST MOMENTS? HARD. TRAIN AND IN TIME THAT PUT TO PREPARED BE GOT TO REALLY YOU’VE ELSE. IT’S TOUGH. WHAT KNOWS WHO OR RAIN UK SEEMS TO HAVE DEVELOPED A LOVE AFFAIR WORKING AS AN ELITE CYCLING COACH? DO You’ve really got to be prepared to put that Well, I’ve had some big successes and so WITH CYCLING. DO YOU SEE THIS AS THE YOU THINK HAVING THAT CONSTANT INDUSTRY there are things that I’m proud of. I’m always SPORT’S PIVOTAL MOMENT, OR IS THERE time in and train hard. LINK AND EXPERIENCE GIVES YOU AN EDGE? reluctant to say they are the defining ones, MORE TO IT THAN THAT? As I say to my riders, it’s not so much what I think it’s really important. I’ve now because I think that everything you do with I think it’s happened in phases. If you look you do in an individual session, but it’s the deliberately structured the way I work to a particular athlete is really important. There back to the 1920s and 30s and then in the 60s, consistency over the long term that really accommodate that, because there’s so much are things that made big news and then there there were huge meetings [at the Herne Hill makes the difference. You’ve got to build on I learn through coaching that I can bring are the riders I work with that have got their Velodrome, South London] with thousands of that endurance.