Zoom Lecture – Oxford Botanic Garden at 400: reflecting on the past, celebrating the present and looking forward to the future

Our Lecturer is Simon Hiscock, Director of Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum, Professor of Botany in the Dept of Plant Sciences at Oxford University. He writes: “Oxford Botanic Garden is the oldest botanic garden in Britain and one of the oldest in the world. Founded in 1621 as a physic garden for teaching medical students how to identify plants used in herbal medicines, it is the birthplace of the botanical sciences at Oxford. Today it is an important centre of botanical research and teaching, plant conservation and public engagement. Looking to the future, exciting plans have been developed for state-of-the-art new glasshouses and new facilities for research and teaching, as the Botanic Garden moves confidently into its next century, an era when plants will be critical in addressing global challenges.”