Up Close and Personal Themed Walks
2026-06-15 11:00 - 2026-06-21 14:00 (Australia/Sydney) | Clock near the bridge, ANBG, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
Join a free guided walk to get up close and personal to our wonderful Australian flora. Are they roots on the outside of that trunk? The young of that tree has very different leaves to its parents. Where are the petals on that bottlebrush flower? This walk will focus on the interesting details of Australian plants that we might not notice at first glance.
These one-hour guided walks are held at 11am and 2pm each day, from Monday 15th June to Sunday 21st June.
Meet at the clock near the cafe bridge.
No booking required for individuals, but groups of more than six people should contact walks@friendsanbg.org.au a week before the planned walk.

Dr Rosemary Purdie ‘After the rain and floods: chasing the blooming flora’
2026-06-18 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
In March 2025 south-western Queensland experienced widespread heavy rainfall and floods that subsequently created ideal conditions for spectacular wildflower displays. A 17-day trip through the area in August traversed mulga, gidgee, Mitchell Grass downs, dunefields, channel country and alluvial plains. This talk will provide a glimpse of what these landscapes looked like 5 months after the deluge, and the rich variety of plants that had responded.
Biography
Rosemary trained as a botanist/plant ecologist before joining the Queensland Herbarium as part of the Western Arid Region Land Use Survey team. After moving back to Canberra she entered the Australian Public Service, initially helping edit Flora of Australia volumes at the Bureau of Flora and Fauna. She then spent 12 years with the Australian Heritage Commission before shifting to the Murray-Darling Basin Commission and later becoming the ACT’s independent Commissioner for the Environment. Since retiring and focussing on plants again, she has been an Honorary Associate at ANBG, including four years as the Honorary Living Collections Botanist, and at the Australian National Herbarium where she has become a ‘botanical sleuth’. She remains an active plant collector and will ‘go bush’ at the slightest excuse.
Booking Link – https://www.trybooking.com/DKZGC
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

Dr Fiona Fraser ‘Protection of species, and bake-offs’
2026-06-25 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
Fiona, Threatened Species Commissioner, will talk about recent developments with the implementation of the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032, and awareness raising events in the community.
Biography
Dr Fiona Fraser is the current Threatened Species Commissioner and has a PhD in threatened species and fire ecology in northern Australia. She has worked for the Australian Government for over a decade playing lead roles in Indigenous caring for country and natural resource management international environment policy and the bushfire wildlife recovery response.
Before joining the public service, Fiona worked with First Nations organisations in northern Australia on caring for country programs and joint management of protected areas.
Booking Link – https://www.trybooking.com/DKZGD
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

Dr Gina Newton ‘Darling to sea- Murray River endangered ecological community listing’
2026-07-02 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
Gina will talk about the critically endangered wetlands and floodplains of the lower Murray, downstream of the Darling, her involvement in the ecological assessment, and what needs to be done.
Abstract
As of February 2026, the lower Murray River, its wetlands, and floodplains downstream of the Darling River are listed as Critically Endangered under Australian national environmental law, facing imminent ecosystem collapse within a decade.
Critically Endangered Listing: The listing applies specifically to the Lower River Murray, including the Coorong and Lake Alexandrina, because of systemic ecological decline.
Key Threats: The system is heavily impacted by climate change, excessive water allocation, flow regulation (dams, weirs), salinisation, and acidification.
Scientific Involvement: Dr. Gina Newton has previously undertaken large-scale aquatic assessments to list endangered ecosystems like the River Murray.
Ecological Impact: The river has lost significant habitat complexity, including old-growth vegetation, and faces high pressures on native flora and fauna.
The emergency status suggests that urgent, long-term restoration efforts are necessary to avoid ecological collapse of this vital waterway.
Biography
Dr Gina Newton, a specialist in ecological assessment and threatened species, has been involved in assessing the Murray River ecosystems under the EPBC Act.
Gina is passionate about nature and the environment. As a qualified a marine biologist, zoologist and science communicator, she has undertaken research and published many related articles
Booking Link – https://www.trybooking.com/DKZGE
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

Professor Rod Peakall ‘The magic of chemistry in the pollination and evolution of Australian terrestrial orchids’
2026-07-09 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
Rod, from ANU, will discuss how orchids use specific floral volatiles to attract pollinators, highlight new insights on the evolution of Australia terrestrial orchids and outline his ongoing project on the pollination of the mysterious NSW underground orchids.
Abstract
As ideal subjects for exploring a range of interesting scientific questions, orchids and their pollination have featured strongly across his research career. His research on sexually deceptive orchids, in particular, has captured the imagination of the public, educators and scientists around the world. Drawing on his research that spans across fields, he will describe how orchids use specific floral volatiles to secure pollinator attraction and highlight new insights on the evolution Australia terrestrial orchids. He will conclude the talk with a brief outline on his exciting, but challenging, ongoing project on the pollination of the mysterious underground orchids of NSW. The talk will be illustrated by beautiful photographs and fascinating video clips.
Biography
Professor Rod Peakall is Head of Ecology and Evolution Division, ANU
His parents passed on their love of nature. They chose to bring up their five children on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia, with nearby forest as a playground. They spent their holidays camping at remote and wonderful locations, with hiking, canoeing, birdwatching and orchid hunting all part of the adventure.
He completed his BSc (Hons) in 1984 and PhD in 1987, both at the University of Western Australia (UWA), then took up an ARC funded 5-year postdoctoral position at Macquarie University in Sydney in 1988.
He joined The Australian National University (ANU) in 1993. He has also held visiting fellowships at Rutgers University, USA (1992) and at ETH (2003), Zurich, Switzerland.
Orchids have featured strongly in his research as ideal subjects for exploring a range of interesting ecological, chemical, molecular and evolutionary questions. His research on sexually deceptive orchids, in particular, has captured the imagination of the public, educators and scientists around the world.
He is the first author of the widely used population genetics software package, GenAlEx: Genetic Analysis in Excel (Peakall and Smouse 2006; Peakall and Smouse 2012).
Booking Link – https://www.trybooking.com/DKZGF
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

Dr Phillip Kodela ‘Wattle in Your Pocket, the Bank-notable Wattles – science behind the Next Generation Banknotes of Australia’
2026-07-16 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
Philip, from the Australian Biological Resources Study, advised on the design and five species of Acacia to be used in the Next Generation Banknotes. He will tell us why there was a need for the new banknotes, why these wattle species, and some of the technical issues and challenges with the project.
Abstract
Acacia is the largest genus of vascular plants in Australia with over 1000 species. They are a prominent part of the Australian flora, growing in a wide range of plant communities and habitats, from coastal to subalpine and tropical to arid. Wattles are readily recognised in the landscape by their array of mostly yellow-hued flowers, and they feature through much of our culture. Acacia is represented in the national floral emblem (Golden Wattle Acacia pycnantha), the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, Order of Australia medals, currency, stamps, literature, the arts, crafts and design. Over tens of thousands of years, indigenous cultures developed a detailed knowledge about acacias and their wide range of uses, from wooden implements to food and medicine. In more recent times, acacias have been used for their wood, tannin and oil; as stock fodder, cut flowers and a source of food; and in horticulture (countless ornaments in parks, gardens and landscaping), land rehabilitation and soil stabilisation. It is appropriate therefore that the iconic wattle features on our latest Australian banknotes. As a subject matter expert Phillip advised the Reserve Bank of Australia on the five species and designs used in the Next Generation Banknotes program which began c.2015. Phillip will talk about the species and their morphological features represented on each of the banknotes. He will also address why there was a need for the new banknotes, why these wattle species, and some of the technical issues and challenges with the project.
Biography
Dr Phillip Kodela is Botanist and Executive Editor of the Flora of Australia, Australian Biological Resources Study, Parks Australia Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
For over 40 years he has worked in the fields of botany, biogeography, ecology, palynology, science communication and education. His areas of research and interest include wetlands, rainforest, rare plants, weeds, environmental assessment, management and conservation, forensics, horticultural botany, plant taxonomy, plant identification and botanical information resources including floras, bioinformatics and the curation of herbarium specimen and living collections.
He started researching Acacia, including taxonomic studies, in 1990 when he began a long association with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney where he was based till 2017. He has been involved with a number of major Acacia projects, including flora treatments for the Flora of New South Wales, WattleWeb, PlantNET New South Wales FloraOnline, Flora of Australia and the various incarnations of WATTLE, as well as assessing rare plant taxa and vegetation communities, curating collections, teaching, maintaining databases, and producing numerous reports and papers, including the publication of new species.
Phillip has worked on the Australasian Virtual Herbarium, Australian Plant Census, Australian Plant Name Index, Global Plants Type Digitisation Project, Weeds in Australia, Blue Mountains World Heritage Assessment, Next Generation Australian Banknotes, counter-terrorism and other forensic projects, N.S.W. Vegetation Classification and Assessment projects and numerous vegetation surveys. From late 2017, Phillip has been with ABRS involved with the eFlora of Australia, taxonomy project grants, research, science communication, botanical inquiries and advising government and other stakeholders.
Booking Link – https://www.trybooking.com/DKZGG
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

Plants Through Time Themed Walks
2026-07-20 11:00 - 2026-07-26 14:00 | Clock near the bridge, ANBG, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
Come on a free guided walk through the Australian National Botanic Gardens and look at the life story of plants on earth, the main evolutionary changes that have occurred in plants over 3 billion years and how plants have changed our planet. To keep a grasp on that time scale we will condense that 3 billion year period into a calendar year.
These one-hour guided walks are held at 11am and 2pm each day, from Monday 20 July to Sunday 26 July.
Meet at the clock near the café bridge.
No booking required for individuals, but groups of more than six people should contact walks@friendsanbg.org.au a week before the planned walk.

Dr John Turnbull ‘Trees, woods and man’
2026-07-23 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
John, formerly with CSIRO, will trace the importance of trees from earliest times to the present day.
Biography
Dr John Turnbull has a BSc Forestry degree from the University of Wales and a PhD in eucalypt genecology from ANU. He is a former Senior Forestry Research Scientist at CSIRO and Chief Scientist at the International Forest Research Centre in Indonesia. He has managed collaborative forest research projects and provided consultancy services to many countries on the use of Australia trees in plantations. He was consultant to China’s one-million-hectare multi-species plantation project. Since retiring in 1999 he has been a Volunteer Guide at ANBG.
Booking Link – https://www.trybooking.com/DKZGH
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

Bruno Ferronato ‘TurtleWatch ACT: citizen-science, monitoring and conservation of turtles in Canberra’
2026-07-30 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
Bruno will talk about the biology of the Eastern long-necked turtles, their adaptations to flood-dry cycles in Australia, their active life in suburban areas, and recent findings in the turtle monitoring program in Canberra.
Biography
Bruno Ferronato (PhD) is an ecologist and turtle specialist, who works at the Ginninderra Catchment Group. He runs TurtleWatch ACT, which monitors turtles in Canberra with the help of volunteers. Bruno is originally from Brazil and has been involved in turtle research since 2004, working in Brazil, Peru, USA and Australia.
Booking Link – https://www.trybooking.com/DKXYN
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

Emeritus Professor Patrick De Deckker ‘On the extraordinary expedition of Dumont d’Urville that discovered Antarctica in 1840’
2026-08-06 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
Patrick, from the ANU, will present many of the Dumont d’Urville’s expedition’s findings between 1837 and 1840, from 6740 pages of text, 481 plates of illustrations and 77 maps of Antarctica. He will also show slides of the surroundings of the French Antarctic station called Dumont d’Urville.
Biography
Emeritus Professor Patrick De Deckker is at the Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University. Patrick is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
Originally from Belgium, Patrick arrived in Australia about 50 years ago where he continued his university education in geology, micro-palaeontology and zoology at several institutions. He has been at ANU since 1981 except for 2 years at Monash and has worked on salt lakes, their biota and geological history, plus on the evolution of the oceans in our region related to climate changes. He has recently published a book “The Belgica expedition 1897-1899”.
Booking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/DKZGI
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

Dr Veronica Briceno Rodrigez ‘From lab coats, hiking boots, and hot desks to plant conservation at the ANBG’
2026-08-13 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
Join Vero, Conservation Horticulture Manager at the ANBG, as she shares her journey from plant ecophysiology research to conservation policy, and ultimately bringing it all together with hands-on plant conservation at the ANBG.
Biography
Dr Veronica Briceno Rodriguez is a plant ecologist, with experience spanning Chile’s temperate rainforests, the Southern Andes, and Australia’s alpine, desert, and rainforest ecosystems. After completing her PhD at the Australian National University and holding postdoctoral roles in both Chile and Australia, she shifted into conservation policy with the ACT Government to help bridge the gap between science and on ground action.
Vero is now the Conservation Horticulture Manager at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, where she leads the development of the ANBG Threatened Species Conservation Framework and oversees the Living Collection Strategy. Her work brings together research, policy, and practical conservation to deliver meaningful outcomes for Australia’s unique flora.
Booking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/DKZGL
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

Seeds of Wonder Themed Walks
2026-08-17 11:00 - 2026-08-23 14:00 | Clock near the bridge, ANBG, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
Science week in 2026 has the theme ‘Seeds of science: Nurturing knowledge for all’. Seeds of plants come in all shapes and sizes. Seeds, with their packed lunch on board, are a place where time can stand still. But seeds don’t stand still, they move around the environment. Come for a free guided walk in the Gardens and discover some of the amazing properties of seeds.
These one-hour guided walks are held at 11am and 2pm each day, from Monday 17 August to Sunday 23 August.
Meet at the flag near the café bridge.
No booking required for individuals, but groups of more than six people should contact walks@friendsanbg.org.au a week before the planned walk.

Jo Harding ‘Bush Blitz Driving New Approaches to Working with Traditional Owners’
2026-08-27 12:30 - 13:30 | ANBG Theatrette, Clunies Ross Street Acton ACT 2601, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
Jo, from Bush Blitz, will share how Bush Blitz is improving the way they work with Traditional Owners and the practical approaches that have made these partnerships successful.
Abstract
Bush Blitz is Australia’s leading species discovery program, uncovering more than 2,000 species new to western science since 2010. Working closely with Traditional Owners and indigenous rangers, recent expeditions—from Nitmiluk in the NT to the Pilliga region of NSW—have revealed species not previously recorded and strengthened scientific understanding of culturally significant landscapes.
This presentation will share how Bush Blitz is improving the way they work with Traditional Owners and the practical approaches that have made these partnerships successful.
Biography
Jo Harding is the Manager of Bush Blitz, leading national biodiversity expeditions that bring together scientists and Traditional Owners to uncover species new to western science. She champions collaboration across communities and disciplines, emphasising the value of shared knowledge in revealing and protecting Australia’s unique natural heritage.
Booking Link – https://www.trybooking.com/DKZGN
Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated.
Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.
It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly. Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.
The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.
