Dr. Richard Milne: Photographing all the plants in Britain
Dr. Richard Milne, University of Edinburgh
Venue: Science Centre, Inspire Room, Greenmarket, Dundee
The lecture is joint with Dundee Naturalists
Date: TUESDAY, 24th February 2026, 7 pm
Title: Photographing all the plants in Britain
| Abstract: The British Isles have around 1700 native vascular plant species, plus thousands of aliens, making learning plant identification a daunting task for beginners. Key to turning beginners into experts is learning to recognise plant families, but no existing ID guide has really mastered this for beginners. In this talk, Dr Milne describes the method he has been teaching to beginners for 15 years, and how global events suddenly forced him to create an online version of it for Edinburgh University students. This in turn led to an astonishing quest – to photograph every plant species that occurs wild in Britain. We will hear how far he’s got in just under three years, join some botanical adventures, and see the beginnings of the finished product. |
BIO: Richard Milne began collecting and identifying plants aged about 7 and was probably always destined to study plant science. He did his undergraduate at Bristol, followed by 5 months on a biological expedition in South America, before starting a PhD on the molecular systematics of invasive British Rhododendron ponticum populations. This was followed by a series of attempts to obtain research funding for self-designed research projects, eventually leading to research papers on Rhododendron biogeography and the description of a new type of hybrid zone. Dr Milne came to Edinburgh University on a research fellowship, but soon became established as a lecturer, and has won four awards for his teaching, all voted for by students. These days, most of his research output comes with collaborations with several research groups in China, still mostly about biogeography and hybridisation. In his spare time, he writes novels, hunts plants, and plays games with his son Lawrence.
