State of the World's Plants and Fungi Symposium programme
What to expect from 11 – 13 October 2023
The symposium is based around five themed sessions in which invited experts will address topical questions through presentations and Q&A panel discussions.
In addition, in-person attendees will have the opportunity to participate in four workshops to contribute their ideas and expertise towards the development of the symposium declaration. Please note, the workshops are not available to online attendees.
All timings are in UK time (UTC +1h). The exact timings and order may change slightly as details are confirmed. Please visit this page for up-to-date programme information.
You can find abstracts for each of the speakers listed in the below full programme on our speaker abstracts page.
10:45–12:15 Registration and refreshments
Welcome and opening address
Host: Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
12:15–12:30 The Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK
12:30–12:45 Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Session 1: Where are the diversity hotspots and critical knowledge gaps? (Part 1)
Chair: Dr Iain A. Darbyshire, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
12:45–13:10 Dr Timothy Utteridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Plant diversity of Indo-Australia: Understanding knowledge gaps from Thailand to New Guinea
13:10–13:35 Dr Janaína Gomes-da-Silva, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Unveiling hidden gems: Research and conservation priorities for endemic and undescribed Brazilian angiosperms
13:35–14:00 Professor Aída M. Vasco Palacios, University of Antioquia, Colombia
Colombian funga
14:00–15:00 Lunch and Fungarium tour
Workshop 1: Drafting the declaration part 1 – objectives, structure and process
Chairs: Dr Jordan Teisher, Missouri Botanical Garden, USA & Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
15:00–16:00 Available to in-person attendees only - a smartphone, tablet or laptop are necessary for full participation
Workshop 2: Taxonomy training to support the declaration
Chairs: Professor Emily Sessa, New York Botanical Garden, USA & Dr Ana Rita Simões, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Panellists: Professor Teresa Buril, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil; Dr Sofie Meeus, Meise Botanic Garden, Belgium & Dr Richard Gianfrancesco, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
16:00–17:00 Available to in-person attendees only - a smartphone, tablet or laptop are necessary for full participation
17:00–17:30 Refreshment break
Flash poster presentations
Chair: Professor Phil Stevenson, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
17:30–18:30 One-minute flash talks selected from abstracts submitted
View the poster titles and authors
18:30–20:00 Drinks reception and poster session – available to in-person attendees only
Workshop 3: Drafting the declaration part 2 – organisational commitments
Chairs: Dr Jordan Teisher, Missouri Botanical Garden, USA & Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
10:30–11:30 Available to in-person attendees only - a smartphone, tablet or laptop are necessary for full participation
11:30–12:00 Refreshment break
Session 2: Where are the diversity hotspots and critical knowledge gaps? (Part 2)
Sponsored by Annals of Botany
Chair: Dr Iain A. Darbyshire, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
12:00–12:25 Ms Domitilla Raimondo, South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), South Africa
12:25–12:50 Mr Ian Ondo, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), UK
Plant diversity darkspots for global collection priorities
12:50–13:15 Professor M. Catherine Aime, Purdue University, USA
Illuminating the dark fungi
13:15–13:30 Q&A panel discussion
13:30–15:00 Lunch and tours – free time to explore the Gardens
Session 3: What do we know about extinction risk?
Chair: Dr Malin Rivers, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), UK
15:00–15:20 Professor Rachael Gallagher, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia
Global shortfalls in threat assessments for endemic flora
15:20–15:40 Dr Mijoro Rakotoarinivo, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar
Drivers of extinction risks in Madagascar vascular flora
15:40–16:00 Professor Anders Dahlberg, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
What do we know about extinction risk in fungi?
16:00–16:30 Q&A panel discussion
16:30–16:45 Group photo
16:45–17:15 Refreshment break
Workshop 4: Green finance to support the declaration
Chairs: Divya Seshamani, Greensphere Capital LLP, UK & Dame Amelia Fawcett DBE CVO, State Street Corporation, UK
17:15–18:45 Available to in-person attendees only - a smartphone, tablet or laptop are necessary for full participation
Symposium dinner
19:00–22:00 Available to in-person attendees only (pre-booking required)
Dinner speech: John E. Scanlon AO, Trustee, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Session 4: How do we accelerate our understanding of plant and fungal diversity?
Chair: Dr Isabel Larridon, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
10:00–10:20 Professor Keping Ma, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Mapping Asia plants for conservation and sustainable use
10:20–10:40 Professor Daniele Silvestro, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
New methods to predict biodiversity patterns and threats and to optimise conservation action
10:40–11:00 Professor Lynne Boddy MBE, Cardiff University, UK
Accelerating our understanding of fungal diversity
11:00–11:30 Q&A panel discussion
11:30–12:00 Refreshment break
Session 5: How can we achieve global and national targets for biodiversity protection and restoration?
Chair: China Williams, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
12:00–12:20 Dr Paul Smith, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), UK
Co-ordinating and catalysing tree species recovery globally and nationally
12:20–12:40 Ms Giuliana Furci, Fungi Foundation (FFungi), Chile & USA
Funga: A firm step towards mainstream fungal conservation
12:40–13:00 Professor Kalemani Jo Mulongoy, Institute for Enhanced Livelihoods, Canada & Democratic Republic of Congo
Africa’s opportunities and challenges for restoring degraded ecosystems and expanding effective conservation and protected areas in line with the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework
13:00–13:30 Q&A panel discussion
13:30–14:30 Lunch & Fungarium tour
Summary and key points for declaration
Chair: Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
14:30–14:45 Dr Iain A. Darbyshire, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Summary of theme 1: Where are the diversity hotspots and critical knowledge gaps?
14:45–15:00 Dr Malin Rivers, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), UK
Summary of theme 2: What do we know about extinction risk?
15:00–15:15 Dr Isabel Larridon, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Summary of theme 3: How do we accelerate our understanding of plant and fungal diversity?
15:15–15:30 China Williams, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Summary of theme 4: How can we achieve global and national targets for biodiversity protection and restoration?
15:30–15:50 Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Agreement of next steps
15:50–16:20 Refreshment break
Making biodiversity research count: Winning hearts and driving change
Host: Carolyn Quinn, BBC journalist, UK
16:20–17:20 In conversation with...
Mr James Wong, TV/radio presenter and author
Professor E.J. Milner-Gulland, University of Oxford, UK
Poster awards and closing remarks
Sponsored by New Phytologist Foundation & Botany One
17:20–17:30 Host: Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK
