Nature and Tech Networking

The RAU is located within one of the United Kingdom’s richest ecosystems of organisations, businesses, researchers and innovators working across nature, technology and climate resilience.

Yet many of those driving this work within Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Bristol rarely have the opportunity to connect across sectors, share ideas or spark new collaborations.

Our Nature and Tech networking series is designed for those seeking a structured and interactive networking experience, with attendees convening over an engaging, practical activity on the RAU campus.

This month, we will explore the RAU’s herbarium – a historic collection of more than 10,000 dried and pressed plant specimens which dates back more than 200 years -with Dr Kelly Hemmings, Associate Professor in Ecology and Agroecosystems.

About the herbarium

The herbarium was established at the newly founded Royal Agricultural College in 1845 by Samuel Pickworth Woodward, Professor of Geology and Natural History. Woodward’s herbarium forms the majority of the collection, comprising specimens dating between 1787 and 1863. It also contains substantive later additions. Most specimens are wild species collected in the British Isles, but some international specimens are also represented.

Currently we are working on and involved in several impactful herbarium projects, including a £155 million national programme run by DiSSCo UK (Distributed System of Scientific Collections UK), to digitise and connect around 1.1 million natural history specimens from the UK’s natural science collections, creating a step-change in how researchers and conservationists access vital biodiversity data.

A 20% discount is available to RAU students and staff when booking a ticket. Please email alliston.centre@rau.ac.uk for more information and to book.