Prince William has 'best day' spraying journalists during Surrey visit
The Prince of Wales declared it the "best day of my life" when he was given the opportunity to squirt pond water at the press, all in the name of science. During a visit to NatureMetrics, a finalist in his environmental Earthshot Prize awards project, William playfully aimed a syringe filled with cloudy water at photographers and journalists.
The prince was there to learn about the Guildford-based company's work in analysing environmental data to provide clients with a comprehensive map of life in various ecosystems. He even joked "does this mean you can find the Loch Ness monster?"
Dr Kat Bruce, founder of NatureMetrics, suggested the prince and the children aim at the media as a joke, to which William responded enthusiastically. Despite their efforts, the sprays of water fell short, prompting the prince to quip "Oh nearly, so nearly" and adding: "This is the best day of my life – great fun."
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After two more unsuccessful attempts, the prince retreated indoors for a tour of NatureMetrics’ labs, where he donned a white coat and gloves to assist in the initial steps of extracting DNA from a sample. He was then shown the rest of the process, including a DNA extraction machine that produces the DNA code sequence, enabling the team to identify everything from bacteria to a blue whale.
During his visit to NatureMetrics at Surrey Research Park, Prince William expressed his admiration for the company's work to chief executive Dimple Patel, saying: "So much of what the environmental world needs right now is data. This is fantastic you guys have got this ability to be able to tell us what’s really there."
He also highlighted the importance of accurate information in conservation efforts: "There’s a lot of guesswork, there’s a lot of painstaking volunteers and science going into this, but actually what we need is to be able to understand bigger, large-scale projects as to what is in each area."
NatureMetrics, which boasts more than 600 clients across 110 countries, including Forestry England, Nestle, Unilever, and WWF, has recently secured a significant £20million investment with assistance from the Earthshot Prize’s Launchpad.
Dr Bruce, reflecting on the early challenges of establishing NatureMetrics and the excitement surrounding their involvement with the Earthshot Prize event in Cape Town, remarked on the fun element of environmental DNA sampling, saying: "We always have fun when we’re doing sampling that’s why everyone loves doing it, because once you’ve done it a couple of times you’re like ‘oh we can have a bit of fun with this, where can we spray."
A NatureMetrics spokesperson said: "From collecting lakeside samples and analysing eDNA in our labs, to meeting some of our customers and investors, Prince William experienced first hand how we transform environmental DNA into powerful biodiversity data and insights.
"Accompanied by science creator BigManny, we showcased how our technology is revolutionising biodiversity monitoring and making it accessible for organisations, big and small, around the world.
"This visit represents the growing recognition of nature tech solutions like eDNA in protecting our planet's biodiversity. As organisations worldwide strive to better understand their environmental impact, it's inspiring to witness the excitement around eDNA and the value it brings."
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