Talking Plants with Tim Entwisle (live!)
A science talk series at the Gardens with Tim Entwisle.
Acacia Theatre, Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
19 August 2026
10am - 11.30am
From $45
1.5 hours
Exploring the Science of Plants
Led by Tim Entwisle, this science talk series explores the fascinating science behind plants, landscapes, and the natural world, bringing together research, global environmental challenges, and the everyday wonders of nature.
Through engaging conversations, Tim will be joined by leading scientists to share insights drawn from decades of research and discovery, making complex ideas accessible and inspiring for audiences of all backgrounds. Located at the scientific hub of the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, the series invites visitors to see science not as something confined to laboratories, but as a dynamic force shaping our environment, cities, and future.
In August, Professor Angela Moles will join the series, a plant ecologist at UNSW Sydney and chair of the NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee.
Professor Angela Moles will explore the surprisingly fast pace at which plants can evolve in response to new environments. Drawing on her research in macroecology and evolutionary biology, Angela will unpack how introduced species adapt when they arrive in places like Australia, and how, in some cases, they can even become entirely new species. The conversation will also look at how native plants are responding to climate change, challenging common assumptions about invasive species and highlighting the remarkable resilience and adaptability of the natural world in the face of rapid environmental change.
This is the beginning of an ongoing conversation, connecting science, place, and people right here in the Gardens.
Get to know our experts
Professor Tim Entwisle is an author, botanist and former botanic gardens director. Tim was Chief Executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria for ten years, two years in a senior role at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London, and eight as head of Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust in Sydney.
He is currently Chair of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and an Acting Commissioner with the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, as well as Honorary Professorial Fellow at The University of Melbourne and Director Emeritus of Botanic Gardens of Sydney.
Professor Angela Moles is a plant ecologist at UNSW Sydney and Chair of the NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee, with broad research interests spanning macroecology, biogeography and evolutionary biology.
Her work focuses on understanding how plants grow, reproduce and adapt across different environments worldwide, with a particular interest in the ways species respond to environmental change.
Angela’s current research explores rapid evolution in both introduced and native species. She investigates how species transform when they establish in new regions, as well as how native plants are adapting to climate change.
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