Gardening across the Generations
2025-10-25 10:00 - 11:00 (Australia/Sydney) | Patrick White Terrace, Canberra, ACT, Australia
The upcoming Canberra Writers Festival will feature a dedicated gardening panel this year, Saturday 25 October. There will be a plant swap on site. Details HERE.
Location: Patrick White Lawns
Gardening connects us to the land, to our food, and to one another. This panel explores gardening across generations and families, communities and ecosystems. Anna Matilda (Everyday Permaculture: Sustainable Living for Every Space), Chloe Foster (The Rookie Gardener) and Judy Friedlander (The Bee Squad: Boosting Biodiversity in your Neighbourhood) will explore how gardening can be passed down, reimagined and shared. From beginners planting their first seedling, to building thriving pollinator-friendly biodiverse homes and balconies, to experienced growers designing with permaculture in mind. Join this interactive session full of heart and wonder for our natural world. Moderated by ABC Canberra TV News anchor, journalist and long-time garden lover, Adrienne Francis.
https://tickets.canberrawritersfestival.com.au/Events/Gardening-Across-the-Generations

Bruce Lindenmayer Memorial Lecture – David Lindenmayer ‘Re-imagining fire in the land of fire’
2026-02-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Theatre 2, Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre, Australian National University, Kingsley St, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
Distinguished Professor David Lindenmayer speaks on ‘Re-imagining fire in the land of fire’
Australia is the most fire-prone continent on earth. The relationship between fire, fire management, fire risks and biodiversity is complex, and often poorly understood by the majority of Australians. Many of the opinions on fire in the media and populist literature are ill-informed. Some actions like logging, thinning and even prescribed burning can actually make some Australian ecosystems more flammable. They can also alter fire regimes – or the sequence of fires in an area – with profound long-term negative impacts on biodiversity and the integrity of ecosystems.
This talk discusses new insights into the ecology and management of wildfire and other kinds of fire in Australian landscapes. It charts a new path towards better understanding fire and its management in the land of fire.
This special Memorial Lecture will be held on Thursday, 5 February 2026 at 6pm in Theatre 2, Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre, ANU. Bookings are free but essential, and are now open.
Bruce Lindenmayer OAM was a highly dedicated environmentalist, conservationist and ornithologist, and a member of the Friends of the ANBG for fourteen years. Read about his life and legacy.
Biography
Distinguished Professor David Lindenmayer, AO FAA, is a world-leading expert in forest and woodland ecology, resource management, conservation science, and biodiversity conservation. He has maintained some of the largest, long-term research programs in Australia, with some exceeding 42 years in duration. He is among the world’s most productive and most highly-cited scientists, particularly in forest ecology and conservation biology and has published more than 1550 scientific articles including 990 peer-reviewed papers in international scientific journals. He has also published 50 books, including many award-winning textbooks and other seminal books. David Lindenmayer held a prestigious Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship from 2013-2018, where he worked on biodiversity indices, metrics and proxies. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (elected 2008), a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (elected in 2019), Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW (elected 2022), and Fellow of the American Academy of Sciences (elected 2023). He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2014. His research has been recognised through numerous awards, including the Eureka Science Prize (three times), Whitley Award (10 times), the Serventy Medal for Ornithology, the Ellis Troughton Medal for contributions to Mammalogy, and the Australian Natural History Medallion. In 2018, he was awarded the prestigious Whittaker Medal from the Ecological Society of America. He was awarded the Macfarlane Burnett Medal for Life Sciences by the Australian Academy of Sciences in 2024.
Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/DHLPY
Booking
This special Memorial Lecture will be held at 6pm in Theatre 2, Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre, Australian National University. Bookings open 15 December and close the night before the talk or when seating limits are reached. (Tickets are free but a donation on entry will be accepted.)
Car Park: Kingsley Street, Acton. Drive down ramp at the end of Kingsley Street. Fee $6.20 for arrivals after 5pm.
Please reserve a seat at this talk if you wish to attend. Bookings open 15 December and close the night before the talk, or when seating limits are reached. (Tickets are free but a donation on entry will be accepted.)

Talk on threatened species records and wildlife camera data
2026-02-18 10:00 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
About the event
This professional environmental practice talk offers an opportunity for you to gain an insight into the Atlas of Living Australia’s (ALA) need for more threatened species records and for wildlife camera data. (The event is run by The Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ), Australasia’s peak body for environmental practitioners. They harness the expertise of their members to progress environmental practice and advocate for improved sustainability outcomes.)
The ALA is a collaborative, digital, open infrastructure that pulls together Australian biodiversity data from multiple sources, making it accessible to all environmental practitioners.
How do we get more threatened species records?
While some species have millions of observations recorded in the ALA, many lesser-known species have few or even no records. How can we do to rectify this?
How do we collect, processes, and share data from wildlife camera traps?
Verified images from wildlife camera traps are available in the ALA but there is a need for more. What is the standard that underpins this richer and more informative data capture?
Who should attend?
This event will be of vital importance to anyone working in land management or biodiversity conservation, especially park rangers, environmental advisors, ecological consultants, impact assessment specialists, species data analysts, threatened species researchers and taxonomists. This event will also be of interest to naturalists, bird observers, citizen scientists and environmental groups.
This event includes a networking lunch.
Meet the Speakers
Juliet Seers | Training and Outreach Coordinator
Juliet Seers is the Training and Outreach Coordinator at the ALA and leads the Australian Biodiversity Data Mobilisation Program which focuses on closing data gaps and increasing public access to biodiversity data for research and decision making.
Cam Slatyer | Program Manager, National Biodiversity Data Initiatives
Cam Slatyer manages the taxonomic backbone of the ALA. Cam is an experienced Branch Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the museums and government sectors. Extensive experience in leading teams through change, policy development, liaison, negotiating difficult outcomes and developing innovative solutions to issues by harnessing different sectors in collaborative partnerships.
Peggy Newman | Data Manager
Peggy Newman is the Data Manager at the ALA and controls a team of data engineers who transfer, ingest, process and index datasets from hundreds of data providers.

Event details
When: 18 February 2026
10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Where: Australian National Botanic Gardens Theatrette
Clunies Ross Street, Acton
Cost: $10 – EIANZ members, $100 non-members
Register at https://www.eianz.org/events/event/act-threatened-species-records-and-wildlife-camera-data
Contact: Event & registration enquiries: events@eianz.org or 03 8593 4142

Friends Photographic Group Monthly Meeting
2026-03-27 10:00 - 11:00 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
The next regular meeting takes place on Friday 27 March at 10am in the Theatrette.
The guest presenter will be Cormac Farrell. Cormac is an environmental scientist and beekeeper, best known as the Head Beekeeper for the Australian Parliament. He also manages several apiaries throughout Canberra, including training apiaries, organic orchards, and tall rooftop apiaries.
Cormac will talk about his experiences as the head beekeeper of the Australian Parliament, and how photographs, video and other media have played a critical role in outreach and communication.
He will also touch on how the increasing popularity of native bee photography has helped move the public’s understanding of bees to move beyond honey and towards the role of pollinators in food security and the wider environment.

Masterclass - Designing Resilient Gardens [Sustainable Gardening Australia]
2026-04-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Online Zoom session, Australia
Join horticulturist Alistair Kirkpatrick for a practical, inspiring session on creating a garden that can handle Australia’s changing climate. Learn how to use plant layering, diversity and smart design to build shade, improve soil, and reduce watering. If your garden struggles with heat, hail or poor yields, you’ll walk away with simple ideas to get it thriving again.
This one-hour Zoom session costs $33.
Book here: https://weteachme.com/classes/1046998
Do you have a garden disaster story—hail smashing your camellias, summer sun scorching your tomatoes, or poor pollination leaving your fruit trees bare and plants constantly dying of thirst? Unsure what to plant, where, or when in this changing climate? Don’t give up just yet! Join horticulturist and landscape designer Alistair Kirkpatrick for this one-hour online Master Class. Using the real life case study of his own garden and home, Alistair will demonstrate the key components needed to make your garden more resilient to whatever the climate throws at it and how this can also impact the resilience of your own home. Topics covered include:

Climate changes across Australia and what they mean for our gardens
What nature teaches us: using plant density, complexity, and diversity to adapt
Insights from scientific research and local observations about what truly thrives
Creating shade and microclimates using both vertical and horizontal structures
Layering plants to boost transpiration and support nighttime cooling
Smarter plant choices, thoughtful clustering, and regenerative planting strategies
Why certain exotics—though sometimes controversial—might still deserve a place in your garden
Surface permeability, raised beds, and natural irrigation techniques—and how these can help you reduce or even eliminate the need for watering your garden

Join us and turn your garden challenges into long-term solutions!
All sessions are recorded and those booked in will receive the recording link which is active for two weeks. Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on Master Class full price tickets. You can become a Friend of SGA here. Green Garden Professional (GGPs) receive a 30% discount.

Masterclass - Creating a Wildlife Haven: The Must-Know Essentials
2026-05-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Online Zoom session, Australia
Want more birds, bees and butterflies in your garden? Join Claire Bickle to learn easy, practical ways to support local wildlife. Discover how to choose the right plants, create shelter and water, and make your garden a safe haven—starting this winter. Perfect for beginners or anyone wanting to make a real difference.
Book your online Zoom session here: https://weteachme.com/classes/1047138
Are you eager to boost local biodiversity but feeling overwhelmed by all the sheer volume of information and advice? Perhaps you want to attract butterflies, bees, birds or dragonflies to your garden? Did you know that winter is an important time to support wildlife and support the natural ecological balance of your garden ready for spring. So lets help you get started this winter…
Join this one-hour Master Class with Claire Bickle and walk away with the essentials—and the networks—that will help you make a real impact.
In this session, Claire will guide you through the importance of:

Understanding your climate
Getting to know your soil and garden aspects and how to make use of verges or nearby public spaces
Simple design basics and practical ideas to get you started
Identifying your “target audience”—the insects, marsupials, birds, reptiles, frogs, bats and more that may call your garden home
Choosing the right plants and layering them from ground covers to grasses to trees
Different water sources and why they matter for different species
Creating shelters, especially for insects like bees and dragonflies
Why even small actions can create wildlife stepping stones and nature corridors in urban areas
Building community connections: where to next—catchment groups, wildlife societies, native plant clubs, and more
Ways to stay informed and keep learning through reading and connecting with others

If you want to support nature in your neighbourhood and feel confident doing it, this class is the perfect place to start.
All sessions are recorded and those booked in will receive the recording link which is active for two weeks. Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on Master Class full price tickets. You can become a Friend of SGA here. Green Garden Professional (GGPs) receive a 30% discount.
