2023 BRITISH & IRISH BOTANICAL CONFERENCE

Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland (BSBI)

 in association with 

Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN)

Saturday, 2nd December 2023, 10:30-17:00

Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building,

Newcastle University

Provisional programme

09:30 Doors open for exhibitors

10:30 Exhibition opens. Browse the exhibits, visit the Summerfield Books pop-up shop, network, chat to friends old and new...

 

11:20-12:30 Developing a passion for urban botany

11.20-11.30 Welcome from Clare Freeman (Director, NHSN)

Chair: Chris Metherell (NHSN Botany Specialist Group Co-ordinator/ BSBI joint County Recorder for North Northumberland) 

  • 11:30 Urban plants of Newcastle – James Common (Senior Naturalist, NHSN/ BSBI joint County Recorder for North Northumberland)
  • 11:45 Building a diverse community of botanists through urban botany walks for beginners - Amanda Tuke (Co-Chair, BSBI Skills & Training Committee) 
  • 12:00 Old plant communities in urban areas – Martin Allen (botanical surveyor and artist) 
  • 12:15 What Plant Atlas 2020 tells us about urban plants – SPEAKER TBC 

 

12:30-13:30 Lunch

OR Workshop/ demo 1: identifying urban dandelions: how a BSBI expert referee reaches a determination - John Richards (Emeritus Professor, Newcastle University and BSBI Dandelion Referee) (pre-booking essential) 

OR Behind-the-scene tour of the NHSN archive 1 led by archivist Kris McKie (pre-booking essential) 

 

13:30-14:30 Supporting botanical research to help address biodiversity loss and climate change

Chair: Steve Gater (NHSN member/ BSBI Hon Gen Secretary & trustee)

 

14:30-15:30 – Tea/ coffee break 

OR Workshop/ demo 2: identifying urban dandelions: how a BSBI expert referee reaches a determination -  John Richards (Emeritus Professor, Newcastle University and BSBI Dandelion Referee)

OR Behind-the-scene tour of the NHSN archive 2 led by archivist Kris McKie (pre-booking essential) 

 

15:30-16.30 Resources to sustain and develop the botanical community

Chair: Julia Hanmer (BSBI Chief Executive) 

  • 15:30 Getting started with plant ID – Natasha Foxford (beginner botanist) 
  • 15:45 How Botanical University Challenge can help address the lack of field ID skills provision in higher education – Jonathan Mitchley (Associate Professor of Field Botany, University of Reading) 
  • 16:00 Frustrating flowers and puzzling plants – John Warren (author and former Professor of Botany, University of Aberystwyth)
  • 16:15 Identiplant and FISC: how BSBI is supporting the development and assessment of plant ID skills - Chantal Helm (BSBI Training Coordinator) 
  • 16:30 Thanks and closing remarks from Julia Hanmer 

17:00 Conference ends.