Craze for Collecting - Dispatches from the Cape

Were they intrepid explorers and suppliers of beauty and scientific advancement, or imperialist plunderers and destroyers of fragile environments? The reputation of plant-hunters as brave adventurers tracking down botanical wonders has taken something of a battering in recent years. Make your own mind up about their role and continuing importance as we share some plant-hunter stories in this new series. Learn about the exploits of the late-18th century ‘father’ of modern plant-hunting and the adventures of a once-celebrated woman who led botanical expeditions to the Andes. Hear tales from those who’ve followed in the footsteps of famous collectors, revisiting the native habitats of exotic plants which are now staples in the British garden, and ponder on ideas about the very different role of collectors today in plant conservation and public education.

This ticket is for this individual session and costs £8, and you may purchase tickets for the other individual session via the link below, or you may purchase a ticket for the entire course of 5 sessions at a cost of £35 via the link here. (Gardens Trust members £6 or £26.25).

Ticket sales close 4 hours before the first talk

Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days (and again a few hours) prior to the start of the first talk (If you do not receive this link, please contact us), and a link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 2 weeks.

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Week 1. 15th October: She Sleeps on a Volcano! Dora Stafford. First in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Week 2. 22nd October: Sir Joseph Banks. Second in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Week 3. 29th October: In the Footsteps of.. Third in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Week 4. 5th November: A mid-summer Expedition to Yunnan. Fourth in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Week 5. 12th November: Dispatches from the Cape. Last in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

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Week 5. 12 November: Dispatches from the Cape with Rupert Koopman

Dispatches from the Cape: A conservation and social perspective of the Fynbos Wildflower Trade and musings on the enduring impacts of the English Garden aesthetic in a global biodiversity hotspot

Proteas are iconic wildflowers from Africa (most diverse and prominent in the fynbos region) and globally beloved as cut flowers, but what are the social and environmental contexts of this trade in the Cape? In this talk, Rupert will explore some of the issues in his article with Prof Dave Bek in Protean Routes: Following the Commodification Chain of the Protea Flower between South Africa and the Netherlands (Dwaalstêr Editions, 2025).

Plus, as English gardens embrace more naturalistic planting and meadows are trendy, what are the consequences in places where the more formal style of gardening and landscaping is still entrenched?

Rupert Koopman is a fynbos-obsessed botanist based in Cape Town, South Africa who uses the flexibility of freelance work to protect and increase the appreciation of South Africa’s flora. Previous roles in both government and the NGO sector focussing on the protection of South Africa's plants, especially fynbos of the Cape, give him a good overview of the country's green wealth. Rupert's interests include SA's threatened plant species, citizen science, food plants, making plant conservation more relevant and accessible to a broader audience and participating in multidisciplinary projects. Being a qualified tour guide gives him a further platform to weave history, science and current affairs into a single narrative.

For more information, please visit https://www.instagram.com/rk_ct/

Image: Proteas in the wild, ©Rupert Koopman

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