Dr Brian Hawkins 'How to discover over a thousand new species of plants in modern-day Australia'

Dr Brian Hawkins will talk about Bush Blitz, a species discovery program that has mounted scientific expeditions all around Australia.

Brian has worked for Bush Blitz since 2014. Prior to that, he spent 10 years as an ecologist and environmental educator in the forests of northern NSW. His doctoral thesis was on the landscape ecology of forest birds.

Bush Blitz is Australia’s largest nature discovery program. Its aim is to document plants and animals across Australia. This exciting and ambitious aim is supported by a pioneer partnership between the Australian Government, BHP Billiton Sustainable Communities and Earthwatch Australia. Australia is home to an estimated half a million species, many of which occur nowhere else in the world. It is estimated that only a quarter of our biodiversity is known to science. Bush Blitz involves scientists, Indigenous communities, local landowners, teachers, students and BHP Billiton staff. They are working together to make an extraordinary contribution to the protection of our country’s natural heritage.