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Explore the new season of What the Flora?! on the Gardens’ YouTube channel, hosted by Vanessa Fuchs. Delve into the captivating world of plants with our botanical experts as they hunt for rare cycads, reveal cutting-edge science, and celebrate the discovery of the Wollemi pine.

The season starts with a bang, in ‘Saving Cycads from Extinction’. In this episode, our experts Michael Elgey, Curator Manager at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, and Scott Yates, Horticulturist at Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, journey to the remote wilderness of New South Wales to reveal the elusive cycad. Watch their meticulous efforts to locate and preserve cycads, which are among the world’s most endangered plant groups. You’ll learn the extraordinary attributes of these ancient plants and the pioneering conservation strategies used to safeguard them.

Subscribe to the Garden’s YouTube channel BotanicGardensTV for new episodes of What the Flora?! and discover the remarkable world of plants.

YER’UNG – SPIRIT TREE

The recently unveiled Yer’ung – Spirit Tree, a Welcome to Country sculpture on Gadigal land, was created by Wiradjuri artist Darren Charlwood, who worked with Gadigal Elder, Aunty Rhonda. This totem, located at the entrance to the Robert Brown Building, symbolises rich living culture and connection to place. Carved from Blackbutt, a native hardwood, and coated in resin from Galgudya, (grasstrees) it features an aerial view of Warrane (Sydney Harbour). The sculpture celebrates First Nations cultures and their enduring wisdom in caring for Country. Field work

BRANCH OUT IS BACK FOR SEASON 10!

Botanic Gardens of Sydney’s Branch Out podcast returns for Season 10 with an investigative two-part series. The opening episode, ‘Exposing the Illegal Plant Trade’, tackles the explosive world of succulent and cactus trafficking.

Follow thrilling heists in Mexico and the infiltration of a smuggling ring in South Korea. Hear from Jared Margulies, Assistant Professor of Political Ecology at the University of Alabama and author of The Cactus Hunters, as he reveals a complex web where conservation and crime intersect.

Discover the surprising reality that sometimes smugglers and conservationists are one and the same. This season you’ll also learn about the deadly nature of certain fungi and the innovative uses of artificial intelligence (AI) to combat plastic waste.

Produced by Vanessa Fuchs, Bec Davis, Hannah Izzard and Dan Butler, follow Branch Out on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your preferred platform, and share the episodes.

SEEDS OF DISCOVERY: RECER LAB OPENS

The recent $15 million redevelopment of the Robert Brown Building heralded the opening of the Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience (ReCER). Home to cutting edge equipment funded by Foundation & Friends, the lab will drive vital plant conservation and DNA research, and promote ground-breaking international collaborations.