Meeting 27th September 2016

Illustrated Talk by Timothy Walker : 

"The Oxford Botanic Gardens: the first 393 years”

Tuesday 27th September 2016 at 7.30 pm

Venue: Sutton Courtenay Village Hall

Timothy Walker gave a fascinating and entertaining talk about the history and development of the Oxford Botanic Gardens from their foundation in 1621 to the present day.

As well as describing the different contribution made by Directors over the centuries, Timothy Walker emphasized the important role played by the Gardens in research and education.  The extensive plan collections are continually added to as new species are discovered and enjoyed by the many people who visit the gardens.

About the speaker

Timothy Walker

Timothy Walker was born and brought up in South Buckinghamshire and went to school in Abingdon.  He read Botany at University College Oxford and, upon graduation, worked for two years as a trainee at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden.   In 1995 he was awarded a Master of Horticulture by the Royal Horticultural Society of London.

From January 1986 to July 2014 he worked at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden & Harcourt Arboretum, firstly as General Foreman, then as Horti Praefectus (from 1988) and finally as Director (from 2002).   

Since 1986 he has been giving lectures to gardening clubs, horticultural societies, WIs, and many other types of group.  He has given more than 1,500 talks in Britain, Ireland, North America, and Australia to more than 100,000 people in audiences ranging from 20 to 350.  

Since 1992 he has been a research lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences Oxford, lecturing to all three years of the Biological Sciences course.  Some of these lectures are the basis of his public lectures.  

He is currently a stipendiary lecturer in Plant Sciences at Somerville College Oxford.

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