President's Lecture | Can Taxonomists Save the Planet? (Members Only)
About this Event
This is a members-only event at the Linnean Society (including Fellows, Associates and Student Associates). There will be a drinks reception after the lecture upstairs in our library.
Please note that there is a Fellow's Welcoming Ceremony before the lecture. (Details below)
Life on Earth ultimately depends on plants. Plants form the basis of the food we eat, make the oxygen we breath, and regulate the environment we live in. It is no surprise that biodiversity loss is the most important threat to our planet. Taxonomy – the science of identifying, naming and classifying organisms – is essential in addressing this biodiversity crisis. You cannot effectively protect species if you don’t know what they are, where they occur, or how they are related.
Carl Linnaeus wrote the first complete global inventory in Species Plantarum, summarising what was known about the world’s plants in the mid-eighteenth century. This was not matched until the World Flora Online (WFO) was launched in 2021. Endorsed by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, WFO brings together this vital information using a global consensus classification – the WFO Plant List – supported by hundreds of experts from the international taxonomic community. Described as one of the most important developments in contemporary botany, WFO seeks to democratise knowledge and share resources more equitably, thereby enabling effective plant conservation.
Dr Mark Watson is a floristic botanist at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, where he is lead of Taxonomy & Macroecology research section, and co-chair of the World Flora Online Council. He has a long association with the Linnean Society having served on the Council, including as Treasurer and Collections Secretary, and was elected as President in May 2025.
Welcoming Ceremony (5-5.30 pm): Inclusion is based on a first-come-first-served basis and only those with confirmation will be able to participate on the day. If you are interested in taking part in the Ceremony, please register your interest by contacting [email protected].
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This is an in-person event at the Linnean Society of London on Piccadilly, London, only.
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Agenda
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Fellows' Welcoming Ceremony
🕑: 05:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Doors
🕑: 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Lecture + Q&A
🕑: 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Drinks Reception
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 9.38
