“Café des Idées - Science in Conversation” is jointly organised with FAST!* and the Embassy of France, and aims to
offer a convivial meeting platform for the exchange of ideas, information and discussion for all those who are interested
in French-related science and its broader implications for society and the natural environment.
The new format will include the possibility to connect online or to come to the event (free admission).
* France Aotearoa Science Technology and !nnovation
The next Café des Idées, organised by FAST!
– France Aotearoa Science, Technology & !nnovation and Alliance
Française Wellington,
is honoured to host Wendy Nelson and Kevin Hackwell for
a captivating discussion on the shared scientific and environmental connections between France and New Zealand in the subantarctic marine
world.
Wendy will be talking about important marine collections made on French expeditions of discovery to the NZ subantarctic in the early 1800s that are housed in the Herbarium of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris.
Wendy has been collaborating with Professor Line Le Gall (Departement Origines et Evolution) and for two weeks in October they worked to locate and document these important specimens - uncovering answers to some long held questions about the identity of species described over 180 years ago and not found subsequently.
In this talk she will take you into the Herbarium of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris - and highlight some of the remarkable treasures housed there.
(This work was supported by funding from the French Embassy in Wellington and the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi.)
Kevin will talk about the importance of the marine protected areas in the subantarctic and initiatives that have been taken to protect critical habitat for southern seabirds and connections between French and NZ in this critical work.
Wendy Nelson is a botanist and marine biologist, currently Senior Research Fellow Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
Kevin Hackwell is an ecologist, formerly Chief Conservation Advisor for Forest & Bird, a sister organisation to LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux)
