Studying the natural phenomena, processes and biodiversity in the nature is part and parcel of the future biology teacher education. Such communication of the students with the nature is possible during their field practices that are an integral part of the study of flora. According to the curriculum of this summer, the second year students held educational and field practice in botany in Uman under the supervision of Galina Drozdenko, the teacher of the Chair of Biology and Methods of Teaching.

During the practice the students learned about the diversity of the plant kingdom in the outskirts of Uman, studied phytocoenoses of plant groups in the Agrobiostation of USPU and "Sofievka" Arboretum, studied their development, biological and ecological characteristics, distribution, learned the techniques of morphological analysis and definition of plants as well as methodologies for collecting, data recording and processing.

Oleksandr Nedoshovenko, the first year student of group 1, shared his impressions of the first field practice he had in the learning process, "During the field practice in botany we consolidated the knowledge obtained during the lectures and laboratory work, we had an opportunity to develop the skills and techniques of collecting plants and making herbarium, learned how to correctly identify and describe plants using determinants, learned the basics of geo-botanical description of plants. During the practice we made the dairies of phenological observations that reflect the summary of excursions, observations, practical tasks, conclusions. After the field practice we have been organizing the collected plant material in the laboratory.

It should be noted that during the field practice we helped each other to identify and herbalize the plants which made our group even friendlier. In my opinion, having studied the most common flora of our area, we will be more interested to study the flora of other regions of our country next year. "

The students are sure that the ancient science of botany is now very interesting and diversified, and the more they learn about it the more fascinated they are.

Photo: studying the fitodiversity of plants begins with a tour to the "Sofiivka" park.

Photo: familiarizing the students with the specifics of collection, keeping and herbalizing the aquatic plants during the tour.

Photo: tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), a representative of magnolia kingdom blooming in "Sofiivka"

Photo: taking care of the plants at the research section of the plants systematic

Photo: studying the weeds and their destruction in the research sector of the Agrobiostation

In the morning the students went on a field trip and in the afternoon they analyzed the collected material in the laboratory.

On completion of the practice the students passed a specialized test during which they demonstrated the knowledge of Latin names of 100 species of higher plants according to the collected copies and the list featuring the representatives of the major species of higher plants.