Mark Wapstra and Malcolm Wells: Tasmanian Orchids: A Journey with an end (sort of)

When: Thursday 3rd September.

Time: 7:15pm for a 7:30 start.

Place: UTAS Sandy Bay Campus – Law Building Seminar Room (Room 132).

About: This talk, given by Mark Wapstra and Malcolm Wells, explores a shared journey through Tasmania’s orchids, illustrated with species from across the state. It concludes with a demonstration of the new Orchids of Tasmania digital application and website, and a discussion of how community observation can support understanding and conservation of these species. What can we learn from Tasmania’s orchids, and how can improved access to information support their conservation?

Speakers:

Mark Wapstra is a Tasmanian born-and-bred ecologist and environmental consultant with extensive experience in forest ecology and threatened species research. His work focuses strongly on Tasmania’s orchid flora, including contributions to field guides, recovery plans, and formal listing statements for threatened species, including orchids. He is the primary author of Flowering Times of Tasmanian Orchids: A Practical Field Guide for Field Botanists and has played a leading role in orchid conservation planning and documentation in Tasmania. In collaboration with Malcolm Wells (and others), he produced the Orchids of Tasmania mobile application.

Malcolm Wells is a naturalist with a background in marine science and environmental governance. He has contributed to Tasmania’s natural history literature, including Coastal Fishes of Tasmania and Bass Strait, and has served on environmental and World Heritage advisory bodies for over 17 years. He has long been involved in developing tools for biodiversity communication, including earlier and current versions of the Orchids of Tasmania mobile application.

Registration for Non-members: Non-members are welcome. If you think that the club is a good fit for you and you would like to regularly attend events, then we ask you sign up as a member (https://tasfieldnats.org.au/member).