 |
 |
######################################################################## Linnean News - June 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;53861260.1606p To ensure that this newsletter is delivered to your inbox, add [log in to unmask] to your address book. ######################################################################## In this Newsletter: * Overview * NATURE READER The Lord Treasurer of Botany: Sir James Edward Smith and the Linnaean Collections * 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 * EXTERNAL EVENT UK Plant Evolution 2016 meeting * EXTERNAL EVENT State of the World's Plants symposium * EXTERNAL EVENT Into the genome: advances in the world of algal genomics * EXTERNAL EVENT Space - the final frontier for biodiversity monitoring? Symposium * EXTERNAL EVENT Herbationes Upsalienses – Linnaeus botanical excursions around Uppsala * EXTERNAL EVENT: The Museums Association Annual Conference & Exhibition * BioMedia Meltdown Competition * AdoptLINN * Contact Details * Subscription Details ######################################################################## * Overview * June 2016 In this month's Linnean News, we have information on all the upcoming events at the Linnean Society and some external events that may be of interest to LinneanNews subscribers. We have a very full programme of exciting events, Evening Meetings, Lunchtime Lectures, and Book Events. We look forward to seeing you soon at the Linnean Society. Please remember, up to date details of all upcoming events at the Linnean Society can also be found at https://www.linnean.org/meetings-and-events * NATURE READER The Lord Treasurer of Botany: Sir James Edward Smith and the Linnaean Collections * 18:00-19:00 Tuesday 7 June 2016 In The Lord Treasurer of Botany, discover how James Edward Smith, the shy, diffident son of a Norwich textile merchant, took a passion for botany and forged it into a highly successful career in natural history in 1790s London, in the process becoming a focal point for the study of botany and natural history in Great Britain, Europe and beyond. In this first complete biography, archivist Tom Kennett uses Smith's letters, publications, manuscripts and travel diary to give an honest portrayal of Smith, from his unrealised medical career to his brushes with royalty, and his close allegiances and rivalries with other leading naturalists. Tom Kennett FLS spent five years studying the life of the founder of the Linnean Society of London’s founder, Sir James Edward Smith, producing an in-depth catalogue of Smith’s correspondence held by the Society. This meeting is free and open to all; registration is not necessary. Tea will be served in the Library from 17:30 and there will be a book signing at the wine reception afterwards. Some original illustrations from the book will also be on display in the Library. https://www.linnean.org/meetings-and-events/events/the-lord-treasurer-of-botany-sir-james-edward-smith-and-the-linnaean-collections * 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. http://www.linnean.org/meetings-and-events/events/when-antarctica-was-green * SPECIAL EVENT Conversazione 2016 * 16:00-19:00 Friday 8 July 2016 SPECIAL EVENT Conversazione 2016 16:00-19:00 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. http://www.linnean.org/meetings-and-events/events/conversazione-2016 * 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 * EXTERNAL EVENT UK Plant Evolution 2016 meeting * 15-16 september 2016 @ Cambridge University Botanic Garden EXTERNAL EVENT UK Plant Evolution 2016 meeting 15-16 september 2016 @ Cambridge University Botanic Garden Registration and abstract submission deadline is 19th August 2016 What: A meeting aimed to strengthen and build the community of plant evolutionary biologists in the UK, following the first and very successful UK Plant Evolution meeting in Edinburgh in September 2014. When: 15 and 16 September, 2016 Where: Cambridge University Botanic Garden Why: The United Kingdom is home to exceptional evolutionary biologists. However, compared to the number of evolutionary zoologists, the number of their botanical counterparts are few. In many cases, UK plant evolutionary biologists are in small numbers at any one institution, and such isolation can hinder progress. UK plant evolutionary biologists could make better progress and be involved in larger-scale projects if there was more communication and collaboration within their community. The primary goal of this meeting is to consolidate the UK plant evolutionary biology community and highlight the potential for new collaborations. This meeting is part of a longer-term process of strengthening the UK plant evolution community. The scope of the meeting aims to cover several major areas of plant evolution research in the UK. http://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/research/sambrockington/uk-plant-evolution-2016 * EXTERNAL EVENT State of the World's Plants symposium * 11 – 12 May 2016 @ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew In conjunction with the launch of a ground breaking new report, Kew is delighted to host the first international State of the World’s Plants symposium. Scientists and policymakers will gather in May to review the world’s plant diversity and associated research and trends. Topics for discussion will include threats to plant health, climate change, useful plants, invasive plants, protected areas and extinction risk. For details of the programme, to submit an abstract or to register for the meeting, please visit: http://science.kew.org/state-worlds-plants-symposium * EXTERNAL EVENT Into the genome: advances in the world of algal genomics * 8-9 June 2016 @ Kavali Centre, Buckinghamshire PhD students and early postdoctoral fellows there is the opportunity to present your work at the meeting. We are looking for three speakers, one for each of the main topics of the meeting: Evolutionary genomics, Cell biology and environmental interactions, and Algal systems biology. Call for posters Participants are invited to submit a poster for this meeting. The deadline for abstracts for poster submission is Monday 4 April 2016. For further details go to: https://royalsociety.org/events/2016/06/into-the-genome/ * EXTERNAL EVENT Space - the final frontier for biodiversity monitoring? Symposium * 29 April 2016 @ Zoological Society of London, ZSL London Zoo This symposium will bring together leading experts in biodiversity monitoring and satellite remote sensing to discuss ways to better capitalise on this technology to monitor biological diversity globally. Join us to learn more about how satellite data can be used to capture, track and understand information about changes in biodiversity across the Earth to inform conservation policy and practice. https://www.zsl.org/science/whats-on/space-the-final-frontier-for-biodiversity-monitoring?dm_i=9GD,45CWX,LM61CE,F2W2H,1 * EXTERNAL EVENT Herbationes Upsalienses – Linnaeus botanical excursions around Uppsala * 1 May - 28 August 2016 @ Uppsala, Sweden This summer there will be an exhibition with botanical illustrations at Linneus estate Hammarby. The theme is “Herbationes Upsalienses – Linnaeus botanical excursions around Uppsala”. Read more about his excursions at: http://www.linnestigarna.se/stigarnas_historia/index_eng.php At the exhibition there are Botanical illustrations by Margaretha Bååth, FLS, combined with unique Linné-quotations found by Mariette Manktelow FLS. For availability see: http://www.hammarby.uu.se/LHeng.html * EXTERNAL EVENT: The Museums Association Annual Conference & Exhibition * 7-9 November 2016 @ Glasgow The MA conference is a great opportunity to think creatively, engage with colleagues and develop new skills. The themes this year are People and Places, Being Brave and Health and Wellbeing. Delegates will have the opportunity to debate and discuss big ideas with colleagues from around the UK and internationally. The event is packed with thought-provoking sessions and networking opportunities. http://www.museumsassociation.org/bookings/annual-conference-booking ######################################################################## * 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] http://www.linnean.org/education-resources/biomedia-meltdown * AdoptLINN * 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 http://www.linnean.org/Library-and-Archives/AdoptLINN ######################################################################## * 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