Contemporary Art, Furniture & Craft Gallery · Licensed Café
Thursday 26 March, 7pm
Tickets: £12 (under 21s £6)
All proceeds to Rainforest Concern. Extra donations can be given on the night.
Doors 6pm, bar and hot supper available
Tickets available from Bridport Tourist Information Centre
tel: 01308 424901
or paste this address into your browser https://bridportandwestbay.co.uk/tickets/talks
Join us for a very special evening with Professor Sir Ghillean Prance, a founding member of the Help Our Planet project and one of the world’s leading tropical botanists and rainforest explorers.
In this fascinating talk, Professor Prance will explore the remarkable story of the Brazil nut and how this extraordinary tree plays a vital role in protecting the Amazon.
Having led dozens of scientific expeditions in the Amazon, discovered over 350 plant species, and published more than 600 scientific papers, Professor Prance brings decades of first-hand experience, insight and storytelling to this important subject. Educated at Keble College, Oxford, he worked at the New York Botanical Garden before he served as Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, from 1988-1999. He was elected to the Royal Society and knighted in 1995.
His talk will reveal how sustainable harvesting of Brazil nuts supports local communities, preserves biodiversity, and helps safeguard one of the planet’s most important ecosystems.
This is a rare opportunity to hear from one of the great figures in global botany and conservation.
The Brazil nut is harvested sustainably from one of the tallest trees in the Amazon rainforest, providing income that encourages forest protection. We’ll explore the tree’s biology, its pollination by orchid bees, seed dispersal by agoutis, how the nuts are harvested and marketed, as well as the myths and legends associated with them among several indigenous tribes. Overall, the lecture highlights the ecology, economy and ethnobotany of one of the most important trees in the Amazon rainforest.
The HOP talks are part of an initiative aiming to inspire and inform individuals, families and local communities with tangible actions to help combat the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, and to raise money for charities working in these areas. Each month the charity is chosen by the speaker. The project was initiated by Philip Howse OBE (Professor Emeritus, University of Southampton) with Professor Sir Ghillean Prance FRS VMH (former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) and the late James Lovelock CBE. Patrons include: George Monbiot, Clive Farrell, Dr George McGavin and Dr Kate Rawles.
Take part. Book your seats now.
