School seeds study for Kew database

Forest Gate Community School in the London Borough of Newham have researched 500 seeds of the arid land plant Cassia obtusifolia, the leaves of which are fermented to produce a food product, kawal, used by Sudanese tribes as a meat substitute. Results from the school's research are stored on Kew Gardens' international database, SEPASAL (Survey of Economic Plants of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands).

The pupils' investigations ranged from simple weighing and measuring of the seeds to investigation of seed germination and growth under varying conditions of humidity, light and temperature. The Blue Peter TV programme have followed the work and there has been joint work with a twinned Kenyan school.

This was a pilot project leading to more such seeds research by schools. It was organised by the London Centre for International Peacebuilding and the Living Earth consultancy.

Niall Marriott and Roger Hammond, Living Earth, 37 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3EG (tel 071 436 0641).

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