From 6 to 15 November, Marimurtra Botanical Garden will host scientific events, workshops and family activities, and will once again bring science into schools with The Secret of Seeds
The Carl Faust Foundation is once again taking part in Science Week with a programme of activities at Marimurtra Botanical Garden designed to bring scientific knowledge to the public and highlight the value of community participation in research and conservation. This year, coinciding with the Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, Marimurtra will pay particular attention to volunteering as a way of getting involved in scientific and environmental projects.
The 31st Science Week will take place across Catalonia from 6 to 15 November. Organised by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI), with the support of the Government of Catalonia’s Department of Research and Universities, it aims to bring science and technology to the public and encourage interest in scientific careers, particularly among young people.
Marimurtra’s programme will begin with the exhibition 20 Years of Science Week at Marimurtra, showcasing posters from the twenty editions in which the Garden has taken part. The exhibition will offer a journey through two decades of science outreach led by the Carl Faust Foundation.
On Saturday 7 November, the Marimurtra Symposium will take place, focusing this year on Plants and Human Beings and exploring the relationship between plants and people from an ethnobotanical perspective. Running from 10 am to 1 pm, the event will bring together experts in the field to share their knowledge and reflections on the subject. The session will conclude with a guided tour of Marimurtra’s ethnobotanical collection led by Josep A. Rosselló of the Carl Faust Foundation. The activity is free, with a €5 deposit.
The following day, Sunday 8 November at 10.30 am, scientific illustrator Ana Ruano, selected for the 2026 Eugeni Sierra International Botanical Illustration Residency, will lead a two-hour scientific illustration workshop for a small group of 15 participants. This activity will also be free, with a refundable deposit.
During Science Week, Marimurtra will once again venture beyond the Garden to bring botany into schools with The Secret of Seeds. As part of this travelling activity, the Marimurtra team visits schools to help pupils learn about seeds and their importance through a practical and accessible approach.
On Thursday 12 November at 7.30 pm, Club de Vela Blanes will host the talk “Psychotropic Plants and the Gods: Who Created Whom?”, delivered by Josep A. Rosselló of the Carl Faust Foundation. The session will explore how experiences associated with these plants may have influenced the origins of religious beliefs and invite reflection on the relationship between psychotropic plants and deities.
On Saturday 14 November, from 10 am to 1.30 pm, the “Marimurtra + Science” event will focus on environmental volunteering. The programme will combine experiences from science and conservation projects with a presentation on volunteering at Marimurtra and a panel discussion featuring personal accounts from participants in various initiatives linked to the Garden. The event will conclude with a tribute to the volunteers who contribute to the Carl Faust Foundation’s projects. Admission will be free, with a deposit.
The programme will conclude on Sunday 15 November with two activities open to the public: Botany for Families at 11 am, an opportunity to discover the plant world as a family, and A Taste of Marimurtra, a guided tour at 12 noon. Both activities will be free, with a refundable deposit.
Through this programme, the Carl Faust Foundation reaffirms Marimurtra’s commitment to sharing scientific knowledge and engaging the public with science, while recognising volunteers’ contributions to projects that monitor, conserve and advance understanding of biodiversity. The programme thus connects with one of the commemorative themes of this year’s Science Week: the Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.
