Jennifer Rowland ‘Alexander von Humboldt, Scientific Traveller’

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Thursday, 26 September 2019 - 12:30pm

Jennifer is a former demographer, and also a member of the Friends of the ANBG and Cactus and Succulent Societies. To mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Alexander von Humboldt, Jennifer will discuss his life, plant discoveries, trip to Central America and legacies which are still being considered as the foundation of many scientific and artistic endeavours today.

Abstract

This talk discusses the life, plant discoveries and legacies of German scientific traveller Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859). It considers his two most important journeys, especially the earlier one to Central America (1799-1804), when cacti were among the plants he collected. In this year of the 250th anniversary of his birth, Humboldt’s findings and legacies are still being considered as the foundations of many scientific and artistic endeavours today.

Biography

Jennifer Rowland has had a long-term interest in cacti and succulents and is active in the Cactus and Succulent Society of the ACT. She presented this talk to the Australasian Cactus and Succulent Convention (Succulenticon) in Perth in 2018. Formerly a demographer working for government, Jenny’s varied pursuits have included gardening, music, theatre and writing. Her interest in Alexander von Humboldt stems from a visit to his native Berlin in 2010.