The hugely popular Jonathan Drori – writer and plant-lover – returns to 5x15 for a very special conversation with Professor Nicola Spence CBE, Defra’s Chief Plant Health Officer and the Head of the UK National Plant Protection Organisation.
Both Jonathan and Nicola have been inspired in their love of plants by visits to Kew Gardens from a young age. In this event, they will explore how those early experiences led them both on journeys of discovery to the far reaches of the botanical universe. Join us as Jonathan and Nicola share stories about their love of the natural world, the importance of plant health which we all too often take for granted, some surprising gardening tips and fascinating facts about the botanical world.
Jonathan is the author of the runaway best sellers, Around the World In 80 Trees and Around the World in 80 Plants, revealing in awe-inspiring detail how the worlds of trees and plants are intricately entwined with our own history, culture and folklore. Using obscure historical sources and the most up-to-date academic papers, he uncovered wonderful and strange stories about plants and their relationships with us and with each other; from the familiar tomato, to the humble dandelion, the eerie mandrake to the Spanish ‘moss’ of Louisiana.
As Chief Plant Health Officer, Nicola advises ministers, industry, UK Border Control and others about the risks of plant pests and diseases. Her mission is to stop alien pests and diseases of plants and trees from arriving in the UK and if they do arrive, deal with them as quickly as possible to prevent the economic, social and environmental impacts and losses they cause. Nicola is a plant scientist, who has worked on crop diseases UK and internationally for decades. But plant health threats can be found in the most unlikely places from football pitches, furniture and works of art, to plants with cultural or religious significance, so she has needed to be a tactful diplomat as well.
Jonathan Drori is a trustee of The Eden Project and Cambridge University Botanic Garden, an Ambassador for the Woodland Trust and the WWF, and Honorary Professor at Birmingham University’s Institute of Forest Research. Previously, Jon was a Trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and for BBC TV, he was responsible for more than fifty science documentaries and series. He is known for several botanical TED talks, which have been viewed millions of times.
Nicola Spence is an expert in plant health and the international plant trade, and a keen gardener. She is the UK’s Chief Plant Health Officer and heads the National Plant Protection Organisation. She was previously Chief Scientist at the Food and Environment Research Agency and President of the British Society for Plant Pathology. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham, Visiting Professor at Harper Adams University, a member of Court at the University of York and a Trustee of The Yorkshire Arboretum. Nicola’s PhD was in Plant Virology at the University of Birmingham.
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