The Plant Science Group enables ‘Friends of the ANBG' to become involved with and to learn about technical, scientific and research matters relating to Australian plants.
It does this by:
- providing a forum to share technical information about plants and their identification, including in an ecosystem context
- briefing on current cutting-edge research in plant science through monthly Technical Talks
- augmenting the Technical Talks program with visits, such as to herbaria, seed banks and the ANBG nursery.
Direct volunteering involvement opportunities also arise from time to time and are illustrated by current and past tasks such as:
- data collection for an Acacia pollination project
- participation in an ANU, ANBG and ANBG Friends Australian Research Council linkage grant on alpine seed and seedling ecology
- assisting in the ANBG stocktake of its living collection
- providing input to assist in the operation of the Botanical Resource Centre.
Technical Talks
The main, regular activity of the Group is the Technical Talks; these are held on the second Monday morning of each month (except for Public Holidays), usually in the Theatrette, and are only open to Friends of the ANBG. They are more technical than the regular Thursday lunch time talks, which are open to the general public. Technical Talk details are listed on the Friends' calendar website a week or so before each talk - https://www.friendsanbg.org.au/calendar.
These Technical Talks were originally started to train Botanical Resource Centre facilitators. The focus has now broadened beyond plant identification by their instigator, Murray Fagg, at the request of Friends’ Council. We are grateful to Murray for continuing to source speakers for talks on a range of topics. Where speakers permit, copies of talks are made available on the new computer in the Botanical Resource Centre.
Here are some of the recent topics covered:
· Vegwatch – a quantitative vegetation monitoring program for citizen scientists.
· Can we do biodiversity conservation without species?
· Monitoring the condition of ecosystems across the Commonwealth national parks
· Do plants evolve differently?
· Australian National Herbarium -- State of the Union address
· Another look at eucalypt classification -- a 101-gene phylogeny: some taxonomic controversies resolved
Other activities
Several members volunteered to help in implementation of an ANBG conservation project dealing with the long-term survival of two populations of Fan Grevillea (Grevillea ramosissima) on ANBG land. This project, lead by Dr Rosemary Purdie (a Plant Science Group Member), included work on recording information on the size and phenology of populations.
Following suggestions by members, tours have been arranged to the National Herbarium (led by Murray Fagg), the Cryptogam Herbarium (led by Dr Chris Cargill, Curator) and the Australian PlantBank at The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan New South Wales. Most recently in 2018 a group visited the ANBG Nursery and some members joined the Guides in a one-day bus expedition to the Pollination Display at the Calyx in the Royal Sydney Botanic Gardens. In addition, we have had the opportunity to visit the National Insect Collection (at CSIRO Entomology) where by Dr Ted Edwards and Dr Marianne Horak focussed on plant–moth interactions, including those of the scribbly gum moth.
 |
 |
|
National Insect Collection visit: Dr Ted Edwards showing exhibits. |
National Insect Collection Visit: A case of Golden Sun Moths. |
Getting Involved
The Convenor and Subcommittee of the Plant Science Group welcome the input of all Plant Science Group members on speakers and topics for future Technical Talks, suggestions for tours and identification of opportunities for involvement in more scientifically oriented projects.
