This episode I’m speaking with Seb Stroud. Seb is based at Leeds University and is part of the Ecology & Evolution Group, where his research looks at many different topics including botany, freshwater ecology, ecosystem structures and urban landscapes. He recently co-authored a research paper which looks at the state of botanical education and that’s what I was particularly interested in chatting about today. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Woolly Aphids What We Talk About  What is the extinction of botanical education? Why is it happening? The effects of losing our tradition of botanical education Plant blindness The UN’s sustainable development goals and future funding The impact of botanical education extinction on climate change, food security and our economy What is actually being done about it?  Natural history GCSE Equity and accessibility in environmental education The UK as a nation of gardeners and nature lovers…?  About Sebastian Stroud Links Botanical education paper Seb Stroud on Twitter Botanical University Challenge Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh RBGE’s PropaGate Learning - Online Courses BSBI Kew’s Grow Wild Botanists are Disappearing with Seb Stroud - The Conversation, July 2022 CW Studio  Other episodes if you liked this one: Modern Plant Hunters The State of Horticulture Patreon