Category Archives: Events

Nature Festival 2021

Nature Festival is a 10-day program taking place between 25 September and 4 October 2021, celebrating how much we love nature in South Australia. The festival features a diverse program of activities provided by artists, authors, environmental organisations, adventure tourism companies, and nature connection practitioners. The State Herbarium of South Australia is hosting four events as part of this festival to share the science behind some of our work.

More information about these events, including tickets, can be found at the Nature Festival site.

Old Tram Barn State Herbarium tours

The heritage-listed Tram Barn A was once part of a sprawling complex which housed the original fleet of Adelaide trams. Now used as the State Herbarium, it is home to over one million plant specimens. Learn about its original use as part of the East End’s transport hub, to its refurbishment as the State Herbarium of South Australia. Discover the cultural and natural history of the building and what treasures are held within, while becoming familiar with the Herbarium’s current role in plant science and conservation.

Bookings for 27 and 28 September

The evolution of the eucalypt

Join Andrew Thornhill on a tour of Australia’s most dominant plant group as he celebrates the diversity of 124 species of eucalypts growing in Adelaide Botanic Garden and Botanic Park. Along the way, you’ll discover the specific characteristics that define different eucalypts and explore the incredible evolutionary history of the group. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions along the way.

Bookings for 28 September

Useful and poisonous plants of the Adelaide Botanic Garden

Led by the State Herbarium’s resident weed expert, Chris Brodie, you will take a leisurely stroll around Adelaide Botanic Garden, Botanic Park and along the River Torrens on a tour of useful and poisonous plants. You will discover what plants in the area are particularly beneficial … and why some are considered so noxious.

Bookings for 29 and 30 September

Discovering pollen at the Adelaide Botanic Garden

Join Andrew Thornhill on a springtime tour that delves into the science behind the pollen of flowering plants. Learn how the type of pollen influences a plant’s pollination success, some contemporary research into pollen, and how it used by animals—and in the human world.

Bookings for 1 October

The Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium are also hosting three other events:

First Creek Wetland, our Wetlands Curator will provide insights to both the technology and nature used to create a home for a wide diversity of flora and fauna in this guided tour.

Remnant River Red Gums, John Sandham will take you on a tour of the remaining River Red Gums, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, in Adelaide Botanic Garden and Botanic Park and introduces you to their young progeny.

Guided Tour through Rhododendron Gully, experience the iconic Rhododendron Gully at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden in its magnificent glory. Boasting one of Australia’s best Rhododendron collections, containing at least 150 species.

Written by Herbarium Research Leader Sarah Imgraben.

NRM Science Conference

From 10–11 April 2018 the third NRM Science Conference 2018 will be held at the University of Adelaide. This conference is a chance to showcase the NRM science underpinning environmental decision making, policy and management in South Australia.

Building on the success of the first two conferences in 2014 and 2016 (which also included a symposium celebrating the State Herbarium’s 60th anniversary), this year’s theme is Science for Policy in a Changing World. The conference will be a space for NRM researchers and practitioners to come together to consider the new challenges science faces today and in the future. Eight exciting plenary speakers have been invited, other presenters will include university and government scientists.

For those who want to present at the conference, please note that the deadline for submission of abstracts has been extended to 2 March 2018.

The Conference is organised by the South Australian Department of Water, Environment and Natural Resources and the S.A. NRM Research & Innovation Network. Everyone is welcome to attend the NRM Conference. Registration to the event is free. Please visit this web-site to register.

40 years Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens

On Sunday, 5 Nov. 2017, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia celebrates the 40th anniversary of Mt Lofty Botanic Garden. The birthday party will be held from 10am-3pm. You can enjoy food trucks, live music, nature play activities for the kids, and beer, wine and cider from local Adelaide Hills producers, guided walks and tours, plant sales and more.

Visit the Botanic Gardens web-site for more information.

First envisaged in 1911 by the Director of the Botanic Gardens, Maurice Holtze, as a cool climate arboretum, the first land for a botanic garden in the Adelaide Hills was purchased in 1952 under Noel Lothian. It took many years of planning and planting, until in Nov. 1977 Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens was opened to the public.

Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, Main Lake. Photo: sa-uavs.com.au

Conferences in Adelaide

(1) This week, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, hosted the 8th BGANZ Congress. Around 140 delegates from Australia, New Zealand and around the world attended the conference. The theme of the Congress was Preservation: Exploring and Adapting, underlining the need for adaptation of botanic gardens in their ongoing environment and the ever changing attitudes of the community. This covered both the natural, cultivated and political environment and the required strategies to ensure the preservation of endangered species can continue.

The BGANZ Congress Booklet is available for download (64mb PDF).

(2) At the end of next month, 26-29 Nov. 2017, the State Herbarium of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, The University of Adelaide and Flinders University will host the joint meeting of the Australasian Systematic Botany Society (ASBS) and the Society of Australian Systematic Biologists (SASB), including the biennial Invertebrate Biodiversity and Conservation Meeting. The conference with the theme Systematics 2017 — Integrating Systematics for Conservation and Ecology will be held at The University of Adelaide.

Plenary speakers will include Gonzalo Giribet (Harvard University), Judy West (Parks Australia), Nerida Wilson (Western Australian Museum), Shelley James (National Herbarium of New South Wales) and Kristofer Helgen (The University of Adelaide). Over 120 delegates have already registered, many of whom will give presentations on their research.

Please visit the Conference web-site for more information and registration.

The University of Adelaide, Barr Smith Library in the foreground. Photo: M. Seyfang (CC-BY).

Herbarium opens its doors

The month of May has been busy for the State Herbarium of South Australia to open its doors to the community.

History Month Tours—again a full house Saturday and Sunday 27–28 May 2017

Visitors were treated to a summary of the history of the Old Tram Barn which now houses the State Herbarium of South Australia by Peter Canty. Escaping the weather which was at times wild and woolly, the tour also gave insights into a modern herbarium and its operation, along with getting to see some specimens of extinct South Australian plant species and some of the weird and wonderful collections by Michelle Waycott.

Peter Canty, Manager State Herbarium, and tour participants

The interest in the building was matched by the interest in the Herbarium and the botanical science that is run out of the Herbarium.

Jürgen Kellermann describes the publications and knowledge resources the State Herbarium of South Australia May 2017

There were many questions by tour participants on the role of the Herbarium as a public institution that provided information for the community on our native and naturalised plants, fungi, algae, lichens and bryophytes. Most were surprised to learn that the knowledge the Herbarium manages, including the Census of the South Australian Flora is freely available via the online web interface: flora.sa.gov.au

Publications of the Herbarium were also highlighted including our flagship publication, the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, soon to be renamed Swainsona to honour our states floral emblem. Jürgen Kellermann, our editor and Senior Botanist, outlined how the new publications we produce are made such that they are freely available online.

Map of collections made before the year 1900, map drawn using Australia Virtual Herbarium (avh.chah.org.au)

A new fun fact about our collections is that more than 15,000 specimens we house were collected prior to 1900!

Totally Wild in the vaults

Leela and Michelle – with some lookers on and film crew, during filming at the State Herbarium of South Australia

Last week, we also had the film crew from Totally Wild visit to find out about herbarium collections and some of the ways plants are named. The filming had some fun moments and we hope will provide some interest to younger audiences.

Contribution by Michelle Waycott