Jay Nicholson ‘Why do some plants die while others survive? Exploring the impacts of extreme drought in the Red Centre’
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Thursday, 6 November 2025 - 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Jay Nicholson conducting fieldwork at Uluru
Jay, a PhD candidate at ANU and has a Friends ANBG scholarship, works with Anangu, the Traditional Owners at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, to work out why certain culturally important species are dying, and what the future might be for Australia’s arid landscapes.
Abstract
After a record-breaking drought and heatwave in 2019, many desert plant species experienced a mass mortality event. He will discuss the interesting spatial patterns in mortality he observed, and how that links with plant measurements and environmental data. Come along to discover more about what the future looks like for Australia’s arid landscapes, and maybe even learn some Pitjantjatjara (Aboriginal language spoken at Uluru).
Biography
Jay Nicholson, a PhD candidate at ANU and a holder of a Friends ANBG scholarship, works with Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people (Anangu) at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
Jay is passionate about hot and dry plants, especially desert plants. After working as a botanist in Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land, he moved to Canberra to chase his scientific curiosities.
Booking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/DDEFT
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
Booking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/DDEFT
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.
