In January we’re launching a new webinar series. Join us as we offering diverse perspectives on the importance of plant and biodiversity awareness.
In addition to the four confirmed speakers for the webinar series, we will introduce one more speaker in January.
Humans are driving more and more species toward extinction. When we don’t understand ecosystems or the roles that plants, animals, and fungi play in sustaining them we overlook the life forms we depend on. We cannot protect what we don’t know, recognise, or value.
Join us for a series of expert led webinars exploring practical and scientific approaches to raise plant awareness and increase engagement in the natural world. The webinar series aims to bring together researchers, educators, practitioners, the public and health professionals, to address.
The event aims to bring together participants from across the North Sea Region and beyond. The webinars will start on January 22nd and will be held on Thursdays at 3pm (CET/UTC+1):
- January 22
- January 29
- February 5
- February 19
Photo: Maria Sjöstedt
More information and registration links
Date & time
January 22, 3-4pm (CET/UTC+1)
Title of speech
From plant blindness to plant awareness
Speaker
Peter Pany is a researcher at the University of Vienna and the University College of Teacher Education affiliated with the Austrian Educational Competence Centre for Biology (AECC Biology) and the Botanical Garden, active in botany education. His projects focus on developing educational settings to foster plant awareness. He has co-developed the Plant Awareness Inventory, and contributed to studies on students’ conceptions of plants and educational strategies to enhance plant awareness.
Organisation
Austrian Educational Competence Centre for Biology, Centre for Teacher Education, University of Vienna
Country
Austria
Topic
This speech traces how the scientific understanding of human-plant relationships has evolved from the early concept of plant blindness toward a more constructive notion of plant awareness. Against the backdrop of the global biodiversity crisis, where plant extinctions are escalating yet plant conservation remains underfunded, the talk highlights how people’s tendency to overlook plants undermines efforts to address the triple planetary crisis. Originally defined as the inability to notice or value plants, plant blindness initiated important research but lacked empirical validation and carried ableist implications. Subsequent frameworks, such as botanical literacy and plant awareness disparity, introduced measurable dimensions like attention, knowledge, attitudes, and interest. More recent work reframes the issue positively as plant awareness, emphasizing recognition of plants’ essential ecological roles. The speech presents how scholars are now working to refine and unify the construct, enabling clearer research, better educational strategies, and stronger foundations for biodiversity conservation.
You can register up to and including 16th of January
Date & time
January 29, 3-4pm (CET/UTC+1)
Title of speech
Reconnecting People and Nature in an Urban World.
Speaker
Anton and Oriol are social-ecological researcher working with urban sustainability, human-nature relationships, including questions about nature connectedness and nature values, and how it relates to attitudes of ecosystem restoration and wildlife friendly gardening.
Organisation
University of Copenhagen, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management.
Country
Denmark.
Topic
- 1. From disconnection to connection.
- 2. The level of nature connectedness in the Danish population.
- 3. Cases demonstrating relationships between nature connectedness and pro-biodiversity attitudes and behaviours.
You can register up to and including 23rd of January.
Date & time
February 5. 3-4pm (CET/UTC+1)
Title of speech
The buzz in your garden - 10 years of campaigning for more native flowers in your garden, together with two schools
Speaker
Yannick Verstraete has been working for the Regional Landscape Houtland & Polders for over 10 years, where he is an expert on bees and insects. He leads a range of campaigns and projects focused on wild bees and insects, including the West Flanders Pollinator Action Plan. In this role, Yannick advises local authorities, private individuals, and other target groups on pollinator-friendly actions, design and management.
Organisation
Regional landscape Houtland & Polders.
Country
Belgium.
Topic
No less than 12 percent of the total surface area of Flanders consists of gardens. Given that insects generally have a small habitat and often respond quickly to the right interventions, there is significant potential in the vast network of gardens that stretches across Flanders. A key pillar of more biodiverse gardens is the use of native plants. However, these plants are still not widely available in many garden centres. That's why, ten years ago, we launched our campaign “The buzz in your garden”, a low-threshold initiative that invites people to make a meaningful contribution to reversing insect declines. Yannick explains the importance of native plants and gardens in restoring insect populations and takes you through ten years of cultivating native plants in collaboration with two secondary schools.
You can register up to and including 30th of January.
Date & time
February 19. 3-4pm (CET/UTC+1)
Title of speech
Why use nature-based interventions for people with stress-related exhaustion?
Speaker
Marja Abrahamsson, physiotherapist, section manager at Green Rehab with twenty years of experience in naturebased rehabilitation.Eva-Lena Larsson, biologist PhD, started Green Rehab 2004 at Gothenburg botanical garden and was the manager for 17 years. She is now a part of the EXPBIO project.
Organisation
Green Rehab and Gothenburg Botanical Garden.
Country
Sweden.
Topic
Green Rehab, Gröna Rehab, in Gothenburg started 20 years ago and helps people with stressrelated exhaustion to return to work or study. By using gardening and nature walks in the nature reserve close by together with established methods in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychotherapy, 9 out of 10 long-term sick leavers can return to an active life. Green Rehab has been around for 20 years and is part of the occupational health care in region Västra Götaland in the west part of Sweden but was built up by the Botanical Garden in Gothenburg. During the years a work model has developed that has grown and evolved through experience, research and feedback from the participants.
Today, there is a collaboration between Gothenburg Botanical Garden and the municipality of Hjörring within the Interreg project EXPBIO.
You can register up to and including 13th of February.