BUC 2025 ONLINE
The online knock-out rounds and quarterfinal were in February 2025 between 31 teams from across the UK and Ireland for places in the live semi-final and final at University of Cambridge on 20 August 2025. There were five sets of 10 questions in each round.
All were recorded to view later on our Botanical University Challenge YouTube Channel. The Third Student Botany Festival will start in the evening 20 August and continue until 22 August 2025.
ROUND 1 RESULTS
Thirty-one teams from across UK and Ireland took part. As Dr Chris Dixon (Senior Curator, British & Irish Herbarium, Natural History Museum, London) asked each question, the teams tried to pick out the correct answer from the five possible answers. Between rounds, teams came onto the screen with confident comments on the questions and how much they were enjoying the quiz.
At the end, the 22 teams with the highest scores went through to Round 2. Top of the list was team Taxon, Taxoff from University of Aberdeen with 40 out of a possible 50 points. Next were team Botanists of the Barbican from University of Plymouth (36 points). Then five teams all with 34 points, team Cotyl-Edens (Eden Project University Centre), team Royal Holly-Ways (Royal Holloway University of London), team Plantastic Five (University College Dublin), team Fun-Guys (University of Reading) and team Oxford RADworts (University of Oxford).
See all of Round 1 on YouTube!
ROUND 2 RESULTS
The 22 teams with the highest scores in Round 1 competed in Round 2. Professor Maarja Öpik, Professor of Molecular Ecology & Director of the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia asked them a further 50 questions, on topics ranging from biochemistry to tropical plant identification. The 8 teams with the highest scores went into the quarterfinal. Aberdeen again led from the start, with Plymouth, Reading and RBG Kew close behind most of the way. The other four quarter-finalists were teams from the Eden Project, Oxford, Galway (Team Claddagh Clovers) and Queen Mary University of London (the Tree-mendous Team). Single points separated the scores of these and other teams, as you can see from the final score-board below. The knowledge of all these teams across a very wide range of plant-related topics is incredible!
The whole of Round 2 can be seen on YouTube.
QUARTERFINAL
This was held on 26th February. It was recorded to see later. After a close contest, teams from from University of Aberdeen, University of Reading, University of Plymouth and the Eden Project University Centre had the highest scores so were in the final in August 2025.
PLAY ALONG WITH BUC AT HOME!
See if you can do as well as the teams. Download this ‘play along’ sheet for the knock-out rounds and quarterfinal.
WHO SUPPORTS BUC 2025?
BUC 2025 is organised by the BUC Planning Team working closely with Cambridge University Botanical Garden.
The Planning Team are delighted to announce the following sponsors for BUC 2025:
Gold Level Sponsor – The Gatsby Foundation
Silver Level Sponsor – The New Phytologist Foundation
In addition, we have received further sponsorship from more than 30 additional bronze level and other supporters. We are grateful to all our sponsors and a full list will be published during the BUC 2025 finals in the week of August 20th
THE BUC PLANNING TEAM
Dr Jonathan Mitchley, originator and guiding light. Associate Professor in Field Botany, University of Reading. Website drmgoeswild.com . X as @drmgoeswild ; Instagram as @drmgoeswild ; BlueSky as @drmgoeswild.bsky.social
Professor Emeritus John Warren, originator and question supervisor. Emeritus Vice Chancellor of the PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment. X as @John_in_Aber BlueSky @botanyjohninaber.bsky.social
Dr Meriel Jones, social media, questions and organisation ideas. Honorary Senior Lecturer University of Liverpool. Social media for Botanical University Challenge: X as @BUCBotany ; Instagram & Threads as @botanicalunichallenge ; BlueSky as @bucbotany.bsky.social
Dr Lauren Baker, Secondary Education Officer, Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum.
Dr Nigel Chaffey, questions. Visiting Research Fellow, Bath Spa University. Website Plant Cuttings X as @NChaffey
Dr Helen Ougham, questions. Emeritus Reader, Aberystwyth University .
Dr Colin Clubbe, advisor and supporter. Senior Research Leader, Kew. X as @CClubbe
Dr Alastair Culham, question setter and supporter. Associate Professor of Botany and Curator of Reading University Herbarium. X as @BotanyRNG and @RNGHerb.
Dr Sven Batke, organiser and supporter. Senior Lecturer in Plant Science, Edge Hill University. X as @batkesp
Sebastian Stroud, behind the scenes IT. Teaching Fellow in Ecology, University of Leeds. X as @seburbanbotany Insta as @bastastr
Dr Hannah Hall, behind the scenes IT. PhD student, University of Reading
Jonathan Charmley, behind the scenes IT. BA student, University of Reading.
SUPPORTERS AND ADVISORS
Dr Susan Medcalf, supporter. Protected Sites Lead Advisor, Natural England. X as @pennymarshwort
Professor Alastair Fitter CBE FRS, advisor and supporter. University of York.
Professor Paul Ashton, originator and supporter. Professor of Botany, Edge Hill University.
Dr Hamish Symington, supporter. Junior Research Fellow at University of Cambridge.
For any further questions or more information about BUC2024
contact Dr Jonathan Mitchley
(j.mitchley@reading.ac.uk)
University of Reading