For the first time since 1978, the Canadian Botanical Association-L’ Botanique du Canada is bringing its national annual meeting and conference back to Newfoundland and Labrador.
From June 10-14, Memorial University will host the association’s 61st annual gathering under the theme Botany on the Rock for Conservation and Sustainability, which will highlight the province’s unique plant life and leading botanical research from across the country.
“Bringing the conference to Memorial after 47 years is a sign that our research in botany is strong across our campuses and our Botanical Garden,” said Julissa Roncal, professor in the Faculty of Science’s Department of Biology, curator of the Agnes Marion Ayre Herbarium and chair of the association’s local organizing committee. “This meeting offers a unique opportunity for our scientists, students and the general public to interact and collaborate with other plant-focused people from across the country.”
The event is expected to draw more than 100 participants, including professors, students, researchers and naturalists and will feature lectures, poster presentations, field trips and a special botanical art exhibition.
Free public lectures
This year’s keynote and free public lectures explore a wide range of themes, from Indigenous leadership in science to the fungi and flora of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Memorial’s own Dr. Yolanda Wiersma will give the Weresub Lecture on June 10, 6:30 p.m., titled Nothing Rotten! Finding Inspiration in Fungi. The conference’s annual public lecture honours the late Dr. Luella Weresub, a noted Canadian mycologist.
Dr. Wiersma will discuss many aspects of the fungal kingdom, illustrating what fungi contribute to ecology as well as to a sense of wonder and inspiration.
On Wednesday, June 11, Susan Meades from the Great Lakes Forestry Centre will deliver the public talk, Vegetation and Flora of Newfoundland, providing a deep dive into the province’s unique and lesser-known habitats and rare species that occur on the island of Newfoundland.
On Friday, June 13, Dr. Warren Cardinal-McTeague from the University of British Columbia will deliver the plenary talk, Indigenous Leadership in Science: Going Beyond Inclusion, which will explore how Indigenous knowledges and perspectives can improve our understanding of botanical research and our capacity to reach conservation and sustainability goals.
“In particular, it will reflect on why we should move towards a model of Indigenous peoples’ leadership in research and beyond the goal of mere inclusion,” Dr. Cardinal-McTeague said.
Prominent scholars in the fields of ecology, development, systematics, teaching and mycology Dr. Carissa Brown, Memorial University; Dr. Danve Castroverde, Wilfrid Laurier University; Dr. Laura Super, University of British Columbia; Dr. Edeline Gagnon, University of Guelph; and Dr. Toby Spribille, University of Alberta, will lead a general symposium.
Exploring botanical beauty
In true botanical spirit, the conference will include immersive excursions into some of the Avalon Peninsula’s most ecologically rich areas.
Dr. Wiersma will lead the Whales and Trails hike at Cape Spear, North America’s easternmost point, offering views of whales, seabirds, bogs and historic coastal defense sites.
At the Memorial University Botanical Garden, participants can join horticulturist Meghan McCarthy for a guided tour through greenhouses, succulent and native plant gardens, and a behind-the-scenes look at the Agnes Marion Ayre Herbarium and research facilities.
The Agnes Marion Ayre Herbarium will also host open house events during the conference. The collection includes more than 40,000 vascular plant specimens, as well as tens of thousands of bryophyte and marine algae specimens, primarily from Newfoundland and Labrador.
A full-day field trip, titled Exploring Ecosystems of the Avalon, led by André Arsenault from the Canadian Forest Service, will take participants through boreal forest, lichen-rich landscapes and the Arctic-alpine flora of Hawke Hills Ecological Reserve.
Science meets art
Complementing the scientific focus is a unique art exhibition hosted by the Archives and Special Collections team at the Queen Elizabeth II Library.
Set for Friday, June 13, the exhibit will include botanical illustrations, archival maps and rare documents, showcasing the province’s deep-rooted botanical history.
On display will be original works by notable figures like Agnes Marion Ayre, the namesake of Memorial University’s herbarium and a pioneering botanical illustrator and suffragist. She also designed the conference logo that features Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial flower, the pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea).
Pieces by undiscovered amateur botanists such as Blanche Browne, along with contributions from Botanical Art Society of Newfoundland and Labrador members will also be exhibited.
Conservation and celebration
With a focus on conservation and a celebration, the conference promises to reconnect local and national communities through a shared passion for plants and sustainability.
Organizers say the event will provide a unique opportunity for the public to engage with both science and art related to the province’s botanical legacy.
More information about the conference, the event schedule, and registration details are available through the Canadian Botanical Association.
