Ross Cameron hosts this years’ “RHS John MacLeod Annual Lecture”
Held every autumn, this influential RHS lecture invites prominent speakers to explore important horticultural issues. Hosted by the RHS at the Lindley Hall in London, the John MacLeod Annual Lecture was created to highlight important and inspiring topics on horticultural science. A broad audience of RHS members, scientists, policy makers and the media is invited every year to hear luminaries of the scientific field give talks on major research projects or new areas of thought.
Preview to the 2016 John MacLeod Annual Lecture: Urban Horticulture – Repairing the Rift?
Putting Humans Back In Touch With Their Own Ecology
The John McLeod lecture 2016 will be given by Dr Ross Cameron from the University of Sheffield. Ross will discuss how, in a rapidly urbanising world, horticulture has a key role to play in ensuring that humans don’t lose touch with their basic ecological requirements. He will outline the benefits horticulture (and plants in general) provide to those of us who live in towns and cities (so-called ‘ecosystem services’). By examining contemporary human society through an ‘ecological lens’, the presentation will discuss:
- How well-adapted humans are to this urban (largely grey) environment
- The dangers around ‘nature deficit syndrome’
- Urban green infrastructure – where does horticulture fit in with this urban world?
- Why is horticulture important? How does horticultural science help us understand the relationships between green infrastructure and humans, and how can the positive relationships be optimised?
Ross will provide an overview of how urban horticulture influences a number of ecosystem services, including its contribution to:
- Human health and well-being
- Environmental performance of our cities
- Social capital
- Biodiversity
- The economy
He will examine how horticulture particularly deals with the detail – it can improve functionality of green infrastructure and enhance the quality of our living spaces and thus our lifestyles. In essence, horticulture is the glue that brings humans back to their own ecological framework, and promotes a more sustainable future for our species.
The lecture takes place on Thursday 10 November at 4pm in the RHS Lindley Hall, London SW1P 2QW.
Book now by emailing [email protected]
This is a re-post and the original text can be found here.
