Queensland Mycological Society  

As part of National Science Week, the Queensland Herbarium will be presenting a Discovery Talk – “Fungi – The Undiscovered Kingdom”.

 
Fungi are a life form so unique they are grouped into their own Kingdom, separate from the flora and fauna. Fungi occupy all habitats on Earth, even Antarctica, and come in a myriad of unusual, and often spectacular, forms, colours, textures, tastes and smells. Without them, no other life forms would exist. Come and hear about these unique life forms, including the many unique and beautiful fungi found in Queensland.

Presented by Nigel Fechner, a Mycologist with the Queensland Herbarium.

When: Sunday, August 24 2014. 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Where: Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha Drive, Mount Coot-tha, QLD, 4016
Theme: Environment and Nature
Cost: Free
Other: Wheelchair access

Space is limited, so bookings are essential. You can book online HERE.

This is part of the Discovery Weekend (Sat 23- Sun 24 August 2014) at the Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha. The Herbarium is throwing open its doors from 10.am – 3.00pm with activities including public lectures, displays and tours.

 
Other National Science Week events at the Queensland Herbarium include:

Discovery Tours of behind the scenes at Queensland’s oldest science institution, and see some of the 820,000 plant specimens including specimens collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander on Cook’s 1770 voyage. Space is limited so please book. Saturday 11.00-11.30AM or Sunday 11.00-11.30AM

What’s in your backyard? If you’ve ever wondered what that plant in your backyard, now’s your chance to ask the experts. Includes Discovery Displays of new plants, fungi, threatened species, weeds and forensic botany. Saturday – Sunday from 10.00AM to 3.00PM

Discovering Butterfly-Plant interactions – public seminar. Space is limited, so please book, Saturday 12.00-1.00PM

Discovery Displays – Queensland Herbarium scientists are constantly discovering new plant, fungi and lichen species. It is the collection and research of Herbarium that identifies threatened species and threatening weeds. The Herbarium also provides botanical forensic evidence to the Queensland Police. Saturday, August 23 2014 till Sunday, August 24 2014. 10:00AM to 3:00PM

DOWNLOAD the complete Queensland Herbarium Science Week Program HERE.

For more information about other National Science Week events, go to the National Science Week website.

Andrew Franks will be presenting The Wonderful World of the Bryophytes.

The bryophytes, a collective term for moss and moss-like plants, are the second most speciose group of land plants in the world often forming a conspicuous component of many ecosystems. However, they are rarely included in floristic assessments of sites and not treated with the same regard as the other groups of land plants. This is particularly true in Queensland where collectively the bryophytes are 2.5 times more diverse than the gymnosperms and ferns together and represent 10% of the non-algae plant diversity of the State. This presentation is designed as an introduction to the wonderful world of the bryophytes and to increase awareness of this forgotten 10% of our flora.

About the presenter
Andrew Franks is a principal botanist and Brisbane manager of O2 Ecology, an environmental consultancy. He is also an adjunct senior research fellow with the University of Queensland where he assists students studying bryophytes. Andrew also curates that Herbarium’s bryophyte collection. He is also coordinating the 12th Australian Bryophyte Workshop and hopes to one day to undertaken a revision of the Frullania of Queensland.

Olympic NP in the Pacific North West of the USA (© Creative Commons)