Dame Fiona Reynolds to lecture on plant conservation

Dame Fiona Reynolds is due to give a lecture next month on plant conservation, celebrating the life of Dr Max Walters.

Dame Fiona, currently Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and who recently retired as Director General of the National Trust, will be talking about the work Max Walters did for plant conservation, marking the 30th anniversary of the Cambridge Plant Heritage Group.

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In 1978 Max Walters was one of the founders of Plant Heritage and played a role in establishing the Plant Heritage Cambridge group a few years later. As well as a a university lecturer in Botany at Cambridge, Dr Walters was also Director of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden until 1983. The Cambridge Botanic Garden currently holds the second largest number of National Plant Collections.

His research and contributions to botany and botanic gardens was recognised when he received the Victoria Medal from the RHS in 1984, and eleven years later he was awarded the Linnaean Medal for Botany for his work on British plants.

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Richard Gant, a member of Plant Heritage Cambridgeshire, is thrilled that Dame Fiona will be giving the lecture: ‘Her leadership of one of the largest and leading conservation organizations includes the curatorship of many National Plant Collections in National Trust Gardens.

‘The National Trust's conserve of Wicked Fen has built on Max's vision and foresight.'

The lecture will be held at The Queen's Building, Emmanuel College, Cambridge on Thursday 9th November at 2pm for a 2.30pm start. Tickets are £10 for Plant Heritage members and £15 for non members.

* Find out more information about the Max Walters Lecture.