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######################################################################## Linnean News - February 2016 A forum for Natural History ######################################################################## To view this newsletter in a browser, visit: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=LINNEAN-NEWS;1f1077d.1601p To ensure that this newsletter is delivered to your inbox, add [log in to unmask] to your address book. ######################################################################## In this Newsletter: * Website update * LUNCHTIME LECTURE The 19th Century Pioneers of Nepalese Biodiversity: Hooker, Hodgsen, Wallich and Buchanan-Hamilton * PARTNER EVENT Red Data Book Species and Conservation * EVENING MEETING Ancient Oaks in the English Landscape * NATURE READER Marianne North: An Intrepid Painter * SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM Britain-Nepal 200: Celebrating Nepal's Success Stories in Biodiversity Conservation * LUNCHTIME LECTURE What's Happening to our Hedgehogs? * REGIONAL LECTURE Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature * LUNCHTIME LECTURE Wildlife Through the Lens * EVENING MEETING Pests, Pathogens and Unpredictable Rainfall: Global Challenges for Sustainable Food Production * EVENING MEETING Science Policy Lecture 2016 * SPECIAL EVENT Linnean Society Meeting at the Arnold Arboretum * SPECIAL EVENT Anniversary Meeting 2016 * LUNCHTIME LECTURE Dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park * EVENING MEETING When Antarctica was Green: Fossil Plants reveal Antarctica’s Climate History * SPECIAL EVENT Conversazione 2016 * SPECIALIST GROUP DAY MEETING Growing the Grass Classification: Celebration of Derek Clayton’s 90th Birthday and Discussion about the Future of GrassBase * TOURS * AdoptLINN * BioMedia Meltdown Competition * BioBlitz * Contact Details * Subscription Details ######################################################################## * Website update * February 2016 The Linnean Society of London is now redeveloping its website. We are currently working to develop new content and features. Our goal is to improve its functionality to offer our Fellows a more interactive website that will make it easier for you to find the content. Some services such as the Fellow’s Area are temporarily unavailable. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. If you would like to know more about our events please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/linneansociety/events and Twitter @LinneanSociety * LUNCHTIME LECTURE The 19th Century Pioneers of Nepalese Biodiversity: Hooker, Hodgsen, Wallich and Buchanan-Hamilton * 12:30 - 13:00 Wednesday 3rd February 2016 @ The Linnean Society of London 2016 sees the celebration of the bicentenary of diplomatic ties between Britain and Nepal – a special relationship which predates Nepal’s diplomatic links with any other country by some 150 years. However, scientific links date back even further, to 1802, when East India Company Surgeon-naturalist Dr Francis Buchanan-Hamilton made the first natural history collections in Nepal. Professional botanists Nathaniel Wallich and Joseph Hooker, and the prestigious amateur zoologist Brian Hodgson, soon followed, but there were others whose roles have largely been forgotten – including many local collaborators. This lunchtime lecture explores the formative years of natural history research in Nepal (1795-1850), redressing the balance between botany and zoology and highlighting the roles of the unsung collaborators. The correspondence networks and relationships between local researchers and professionals based in ‘comfortable institutions’ and Societies in London and Calcutta (Kolkata) are explored and the fate of these early collections revealed. Dr Mark Watson FLS leads the Major Floras research programme at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and specialises in the systematics and conservation of plants of China and the Himalayan region. He is Editor-in-Chief of the international Flora of Nepal project and has research interests in the early natural history explorers of the Himalaya, especially the life of Francis Buchanan-Hamilton and his collections, which are primarily in the Linnean Society archives. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea and coffee will be served in the Library following the event. * PARTNER EVENT Red Data Book Species and Conservation * 18:30 - 20:00 Six Friday Evenings 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th February and 4th, 11th March 2016 @ Birkbeck, University of London, Torrington Square, WC1E 7HX Organised by the Ecology and Conservation Studies Society with input from the Linnean Society. Species conservation is embedded in national and international regulations, but does this achieve good representation of biodiversity? For example, invertebrates are not well catered for, let alone many fungi. Can we conserve the Great Crested Newt by translocation without providing for maintenance of both the ponds and terrestrial habitat that it needs? Or does the protection of species such as the Violet Click-beetle act as a flagship to conserve the whole suite of veteran tree biota? Are Red Data Book species the best indicators or flagships of biodiversity value, or should we rather examine concepts like “ecological engineers”. What of widespread species that may be declining unnoticed? This series examines the questions around the protection of threatened species. - Feb 5th “To protect or not to protect? Extinction risk, Red Lists and the agony of choice”. Monika Böhm, Indicators & Assessments Unit, Institute of Zoology. - Feb 12th “Stinking Hawk’s-beard, species recovery – the inside story”, Brian Ferry, Royal Holloway University of London. - Feb 19th "Red-listing the English flora - a better approach to conservation prioritisation?" Fred Rumsey, Natural History Museum. - Feb 26th "Has being a European Protected Species helped the great crested newt?”, Brian Banks, MIEEM, Director, Flag Ecology. - March 4th “The return of the native; the reintroduction of the short-haired bumblebee” Nikki Gammans, Bumblebee Conservation Trust. - March 11th “Action for Species – the RSPB’s Species Recovery Programme”, Hannah Ward, RSPB. These meetings are free and open to all. For more information please visit http://www.bbk.ac.uk/geds/our-research/ecss/free-publiclectures * EVENING MEETING Ancient Oaks in the English Landscape * 18:00 - 19:00 Thursday 18th February 2016 @ The Linnean Society of London England has more ancient native oak trees than any other country in Europe. If we take the largest oaks, with a girth of >9.00 m, Aljos’ investigations show there are 112 of those in England but only 90 in all other European countries combined, also counting those in Scotland and Wales. The two oaks concerned, Quercus petraea and Q. robur, occur all over Europe and even beyond and are among the commonest trees in the lowlands and hills. So why has England so many of these spectacular ancient trees, dating back to the Middle Ages? These oaks are the most important single spot locations for biodiversity in England and must be better protected than they are. Aljos Farjon FLS, FRGS is a botanist working at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is renowned in the world for his expertise on conifers, on which he has published 12 books and numerous papers. He has obtained several prestigious awards for this, most recently from IUCN for his work on the conservation of the world’s conifer species. In his ‘retirement’ he has switched from conifers to oaks. This time, he is investigating the ancient oaks in England and their history, again working towards a book on the subject. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea and coffee will be served in the Library from 17:30 and a wine reception will follow. * NATURE READER Marianne North: An Intrepid Painter * 18:00 - 19:00 Wednesday 24th February 2016 @ The Linnean Society of London In 1871 Marianne North (1830–90) dedicated her life to ‘painting from nature’ and embarked on a series of independent travels. For the next thirteen years she traversed the globe, rendering the diverse flora and landscapes she encountered into a profusion of lively and vibrant oil paintings. North’s 848 paintings demonstrate the diversity and usefulness of the world’s flora and provide an evocative record of long-gone views and ways of life. Marianne North: a very intrepid painter, published by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, reproduces many of North’s paintings and explores her life, travels and legacy. Join us as author Michelle Payne tells the story of this remarkable Victorian traveller. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea and coffee will be served in the Library from 17:30 and a wine reception will follow. * SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM Britain-Nepal 200: Celebrating Nepal's Success Stories in Biodiversity Conservation * Friday 26th February 2016 @ the Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, NW1 4RY Held as part of Britain-Nepal 200 bicentenary celebrations in association with the Zoological Society of London and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The rich biodiversity of Nepal is a tribute to its diverse climate, altitudinal variation and geography. In total 118 ecosystems have been identified, and the country is home to some of the world’s most remarkable plant and animal species. Over the past 40 years the government of Nepal has been at the forefront of conservation in South Asia, with the introduction of effective ‘Conservation Areas’, and implementation of robust environmental legislation and anti-poaching measures. These initiatives have proven highly successful and in 2011 and 2013 Nepal celebrated zero poaching. However, human population growth, exacerbated by climate change, and a period of social and political instability, and recently the April 2015 earthquake, have resulted in increased pressure on habitats and wildlife. Recent conservation successes will be showcased to demonstrate how the strategies utilized in Nepal provide valuable examples for conservation activities across the rest of the subcontinent. Keynote talks include the Director General, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Government of Nepal (TBC), and Professor Jonathan Baillie, Director of Conservation Programmes, ZSL. Booking is essential via the Zoological Society of London. For more information please visit http://www.zsl.org/science/whats-on/britain-nepal-200-celebrating-nepal-conservation-success * LUNCHTIME LECTURE What's Happening to our Hedgehogs? * 12:30 - 13:00 Wednesday 2nd March 2016 @ The Linnean Society of London There has been a serious decline in hedgehog numbers. What's the evidence, what's the cause and what can we do to help? Dr Pat Morris MBE FLS was Senior Lecturer in Zoology at Royal Holloway, University of London, and is well known for his studies on mammal ecology, especially hedgehogs, dormice, water voles and red squirrels. He has played significant roles in many NGOs and societies, including the Mammal Society, the National Trust, the London Wildlife Trust and zoos, as well as advising Government, publishers and broadcasters. He is a prolific author. He has also pursued a longstanding interest in the history of taxidermy, serving as one of the Government’s taxidermy inspectors for assessing age and authenticity of antique taxidermy in connection with CITES controls. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea and coffee will be served in the Library following the event. * REGIONAL LECTURE Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature * Wednesday 9th March 2016 @ Plymouth University, PL4 8AA The sight of a little pipit or warbler feeding an enormous cuckoo chick has astonished observers for centuries. It was once thought that defective anatomy and behaviour meant that cuckoos could not raise their own young, so other birds were delighted to help. This quaint view was overturned by Darwin, who suggested that the cuckoo's parasitic habit was advantageous and that the hosts were tricked. This lecture shows how field experiments reveal a continuing evolutionary battle, in which escalating host defences have selected for remarkable cuckoo trickery, including: different guises in female cuckoos, forgeries of host eggs and manipulative begging by cuckoo chicks. Nick Davies is Professor of Behavioural Ecology at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of the Royal Society. * LUNCHTIME LECTURE Wildlife Through the Lens * 12:30–13:30 Tuesday 15 March 2016 John Aitchison has been a wildlife cameraman for 20 years, filming for TV programmes including The Hunt, Frozen Planet, Life Story, Hebrides, Big Cat Diary and Yellowstone. He will be talking about what it is like living and working in places as far apart as the Maasai Mara and the Antarctic and how you go about filming polar bears, emperorpenguins and a million snow geese. John will sign copies of his book The Shark and the Albatross after the talk. Please contact [log in to unmask] to pre-order a copy. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea and coffee will be served in the Library following the event. * EVENING MEETING Pests, Pathogens and Unpredictable Rainfall: Global Challenges for Sustainable Food Production * 18:00–19:00 Thursday 17 March 2016 Globally around one third of our crops are lost to pests and diseases, even with the use of modern pesticides, whilst the production of sufficient, safe and nutritious food is increasingly threatened by unpredictable and extreme weather. Given the likely 70% increase in demand for food by 2050, we urgently need new ways to protect our crops and to make them more resilient to the increasing likelihood of drought as temperatures rise and weather patterns change. The ability of our crops to defend against pests and survive drought has been reduced because we have selected varieties with high yield at the expense of other beneficial traits, but it still exists in wild ancestors, offering us the possibility of restoring these capabilities to our crops in the future. In this talk Professor Sue Hartley, Director of the York Environmental Sustainability Institute at the University of York, explores the inter-disciplinary approaches which may provide new sustainable methods of crop protection and resilience to climate change. Professor Hartley is Acting Director of the N8 AgriFood Resilience Programme, which is working to ensure sustainable, resilient and healthy food supplies for all, a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and the President of the British Ecological Society. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea will be served in the Library from 17:30 and the event will be followed by a wine reception. * EVENING MEETING Science Policy Lecture 2016 * 18:00–19:00 Thursday 21 April 2016 Organised jointly with the Systematics Association. Professor Kevin J Gaston, Director of the Environment and Sustainability Institute, leads basic, strategic and applied research in ecology and conservation biology, with particular emphasis on ecosystem goods and services, land use strategies, and urban ecology. He is also an Honorary Professor at South Africa’s University of Stellenbosch and a member of the Biosciences department in the College of Life and Environmental Sciences. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea will be served in the Library from 17:30 and the event will be followed by a wine reception. * SPECIAL EVENT Linnean Society Meeting at the Arnold Arboretum * 6–8 May 2016 @ Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02131, United States In spring 2016 the Linnean Society will hold its first US-based meeting at Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts, with a mix of speakers from both the US and the UK. Lecture sessions will cover topics such as evolution, biogeography, collections and conservation, and will include speakers such as Dr Vicki Funk FLS and Dr Lynne Parenti FLS, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History; Dr Joel Cracraft FLS, American Museum of Natural History; Dr Mark Spencer FLS and Dr Sandy Knapp FLS, Natural History Museum, London; current Society president Professor Paul Brakefield FLS, University of Cambridge, University Museum of Zoology; and past president Professor Dianne Edwards CBE FLS FRS, Cardiff University. Hosted by Professor Ned Friedman of the Arnold Arboretum, guests will have the opportunity to join tours of the museums and the Arboretum itself. New Fellows attending the evening event on Saturday 7 May will also have the chance to be officially sworn in. Registration is essential via https://linneansocietyarnoldarboretum.eventbrite.co.uk * SPECIAL EVENT Anniversary Meeting 2016 * 16:00–19:00 Tuesday 24 May 2016 This event is the Linnean Society of London’s Annual General Meeting. The event begins with the presentation of annual medals, recognizing outstanding contributions to the Natural Sciences and will be followed by the AGM and the Presidential Address from Professor Paul Brakefield FRS PLS. Join us for the launch of The Lord Treasurer of Botany, the Society’s definitive biography of its founder, Sir James Edward Smith. Written by Archivist Tom Kennett, this new and honest work details Smith’s life, from his beginnings as the son of a Norwich textile merchant to his becoming a focal point for the study of botany and natural science in the UK and Europe. Original material will be on display, as well as an exhibition of bespoke drawings used to illustrate the book. Copies of this fascinating book will be available for purchase. Following the Anniversary Meeting, Fellows and their guests are invited to accompany the President, Officers and Medal winners to dinner. This meeting is for Fellows and their guests only, registration for the event dinner is essential and will be available soon. * LUNCHTIME LECTURE Dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park * 12:30–13:00 Wednesday 1 June 2016 The famous dinosaur statues in Crystal Palace Park have been on display since the park opened in 1854. These formed the world’s first sculpture garden of life-sized, three dimensional models of dinosaurs, marine reptiles, pterodactyls, and other prehistoric beasts. There is a lot more to these sculptures than meets the eye. In this talk, historian of science Professor Joe Cain explores some of the ideas buried just beneath the surface. He will also talk about on-going efforts to conserve the statues and the site under the watchful eye of Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs. Joe Cain is Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology at University College London. Joe is an expert in the history of evolutionary biology, especially Darwin and Darwinism, and his research interests range from romantic collaborations in modern science to the famous dinosaur statues in London’s Crystal Palace. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea and coffee will be served in the Library following the event. * EVENING MEETING When Antarctica was Green: Fossil Plants reveal Antarctica’s Climate History * 18:00–19:00 Thursday 16 June 2016 Although the Polar Regions are now covered in ice and snow, life was very different in Antarctica millions of years ago—Antarctica was green. Fossil plants (fossil leaves, wood, pollen, seeds and flowers) preserved in rocks from Antarctica show that the continent was once covered in forests that flourished in warm humid climates, even though the continent was situated over the South Pole. The fossils represent ancient relatives of modern Southern Hemisphere forests but at times warmthloving plants similar to those that grow today near the Equator survived at 70°S. The last Antarctic forests survived as dwarf tundra shrubs in the Beardmore Glacier region, only 300 miles from the South Pole, even as ice sheets spread across the continent about 10 million years ago. Professor Jane Francis is an expert on ancient climates and fossil plants from the Arctic and Antarctica, used to decipher polar climates of the past. This talk will show some of the spectacular fossils found in Antarctica and includes reconstructions of the ancient forests that once grew near the South Pole. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea will be served in the Library from 17:30 and the event will be followed by a wine reception. * SPECIAL EVENT Conversazione 2016 * Friday 8 July 2016 Fellows of the Society and their guests will have the opportunity to meet informally with each other, while enjoying special displays from the Society’s collections in the Library. Refreshments, including wine and a finger buffet, will be served throughout. This meeting is for Fellows and their guests only. Registration for the event is essential and will be available soon. * SPECIALIST GROUP DAY MEETING Growing the Grass Classification: Celebration of Derek Clayton’s 90th Birthday and Discussion about the Future of GrassBase * Monday 18–Tuesday 19 July 2016 Grasses feed the world and grasslands cover 20–40% of the planet. The grass family is one of the largest families of flowering plants with around 12,000 species. Grasses are more important for mankind than any other group of plants. Grasses have small flowering parts and complex floral morphology which is usually studied by dedicated specialists. Derek Clayton has been building a classification system for the grass family during his 56 years at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He wrote the classic account Genera Graminum and went on to invent the world’s first electronic Flora and e-taxonomic system, GrassBase. GrassBase is a unique dataset of structured trait data maintained in the DELTA software system, which is not support ed on modern computers. Can GrassBase contribute to modern analyses and will it have use for future generations? How can grass trait data be mobilised? What are the possible connections between the study of grass diversity and other scientific disciplines? This meeting will bring together the global community of grass taxonomists including GrenLucas OBE FLS, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Rob Soreng, National Museum of Natural History, Washington; and Elizabeth Kellogg, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Missouri. Registration for the event is essential via https://grassesmeeting.eventbrite.co.uk ######################################################################## * TOURS * Linnean Society Treasures Tour 13:30-14:30 Wednesday 3rd February and Wednesday 2nd March 2016 These ever-popular tours will cover the history of the Society with particular emphasis on Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, as well as the Collections and legacy of Carl Linnaeus. Led by our knowledgeable and dedicated Library staff, tours include visits to the Meeting Room and the grand Reading Room of the Library. The Meeting Room: A warm welcome to the Linnean Society awaits you! Admire the President's crocodile-skin chair, see the portraits of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, and hear more about the Linnean Society's past, present and future. The Library: The grand Reading Room of the Library has classical pillars soaring to the beautiful glass roof and two galleries running along the sides - it never fails to impress visitors and researchers alike. It is a working research library with outstanding historical and current holdings of books, manuscripts and artwork. A library display will give you a glimpse of some of our treasures. The suggested donation for our Treasures Tours is £5 per person; all donations will help us to preserve our unique collections. Registration for the tours is essential. Please contact [log in to unmask] or +44 (0)20 7434 4479 ext. 24 Please note that all tours are subject to staff availability and change. * AdoptLINN * mportant collection by adopting some of the most influential and beautiful works in the History of Science, often with a unique provenance. Our collections of specimens, books, manuscripts, artworks and artefacts are of huge historical and scientific importance, and achieved ‘Designated Status’ in 2014, as awarded by Arts Council England. AdoptLINN aims to support the preservation and use of these outstanding collections in research and outreach, with a view to inspiring and delighting people of all ages. There are three levels of adoption: Essential, Highlight and Treasure. Each adoption fee reflects not only importance or rarity, but also the conservation needs of an item; typical repairs needed for books include hinge and spine repair, re-backing, re-sewing and page repairs. If a particular item in our collections means a lot to you, please get in touch - we are very happy to discuss individual adoption options. The adoption fee reflects the conservation needs of the item as well as its importance and rarity. Adopting on behalf of, or in memory of, a special person is a wonderful way to celebrate their passion for natural history. CONTACT US: [log in to unmask]; +44 (0)20 7434 4479, ext.24 * BioMedia Meltdown Competition * The BioMedia Meltdown Competition is a John Lyon’s Charity funded pilot project that seeks to engage KS3 students with natural history through the use of creative media. The project is available for all schools and students in the areas of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham. The 2015 BioMedia Meltdown competition got off to a roaring start with the Sabre-Toothed tiger sculpturing workshops, Loan Kits and CPD sessions that reached 692 students. The BioMedia Meltdown team are looking forward to displaying all the entries at the celebration evening on the 4th of March 2016. The 2016 BioMedia Meltdown competition will be launch on the 1st of March 2016 till the 31st of May 2016 and will focus on the National Curriculum KS3 topics of ecosystems. Entries will be accepted in a variety of media (e.g. video, blog, poem, story, photo, and painting) that address the big ideas from ecosystems. First place prize will receive a Keeper for a Day Experience at ZSL London Zoo. Free resources such as Loan Kits, Workshops and CPD sessions have been developed to help both science teachers and students acquire the necessary skills to interpret science through creative media. These KS3 resources are available to be booked and will be delivered at schools from 1st of March 2016 till the 31st of May 2016. For any further questions or booking queries please contact Ross Ziegelmeier [log in to unmask] * BioBlitz * Friday 27–Saturday 28 May 2016 The Linnean Society of London is pleased to be taking part in the very first Brompton Cemetery BioBlitz. A BioBlitz is an intense, continuous and defined period of biological surveying by scientists, naturalists and volunteers, working with members of the local community to record as many living species as possible. Survey work will take place across all publically accessible parts of this historic and ecologically interesting site, with the focus of community engagement along the main central avenue, between The Chapel and the North Gate. We would very much like you to join us on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 May 2016 for what promises to be a popular and engaging event. If you are interested in volunteering either on the Society stand, or as a species identifier, please contact Hazel Leeper on [log in to unmask] or telephone 020 7434 4479 ext. 28. ######################################################################## * Contact Details * The Linnean Society of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BF, UK +44 (0)207 434 4479 [log in to unmask] http://www.linnean.org/ ######################################################################## * Subscription Details * You are subscribed to Linnean News. To unsubscribe, visit: https://WWW.JISCMAIL.AC.UK/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=LINNEAN-NEWS&A=1