JAPANESE Knotweed threatens Pembrokeshire's biodiversity, but in the Galápagos Islands the threat is from tomatoes! Gardeners who struggle against our climate to grow a few green fruits will be bemused to know that in the Galápagos the tomato is an endemic and invasive plant.
On Thursday, June 19, Sarah Darwin, a descendent of Charles Darwin, will give the Pembrokeshire Darwin Science Festival's 2003 Phillip Gosse Lecture at Pembrokeshire College.
Sarah, who began her career as a botanical illustrator and is currently carrying out research at the Natural History Museum, will show how scientific research can help address the conservation problems of invasive species. She will talk about the natural history of the Galápagos and discuss the threats of introduced organisms to this unique natural biological laboratory.
The archipelago, which is a World Heritage site, is famous for the giant tortoises, iguanas and finches observed by Charles Darwin when he visited the islands in 1835 on The Beagle. Later, of course, he used the diversity of the finches on the islands to support his theory of evolution by natural selection.
The lecture will be preceded by the presentation of a Beacon Award for Life Sciences to Pembrokeshire College for their work with the Darwin Centre. To mark Wales Biodiversity Week, Bethan Cox, of the Pembrokeshire Biodiversity Partnership, will give a short presentation about the invasive plants threatening the biodiversity of Pembrokeshire.
Tickets are available from the Festival Office on 01646 699220, [email protected]">[email protected].
The event is partly sponsored by HSBC Bank plc.