Communications & Outreach (HD)

Program Leader: Anna Monro

This program incorporates the outreach activities of the CANBR, and as such most projects are closely linked with other programs. There is also strong overlap with the public programs units of the parent organisations: CSIRO Plant Industry, the Australian National Botanic Gardens and the Commonwealth environment portfolio. Other than the leader/coordinator, the Program only has one dedicated staff member managing the photograph collection. For most other education and outreach activities it draws on the resources of other programs.

One of the prime outputs from Communications and Outreach (HD) is the CANBR Internet web site, managed jointly with that of the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

Another major outreach activity is the provision of the Australian Plant Image Index via the web and to publishers on a commercial basis.

The CANBR has a strong education focus, concentrating on the tertiary sector. (Pre-tertiary education is handled by a unit at the Botanic Gardens and by CSIRO's 'Discovery' and 'Green Machine' programs). Staff at the Centre supervise Honours, Masters and PhD students from the Australian National University and other universities. A few Summer Studentships, with a stipend, are offered each year, and an extensive two-month un-paid Botanical Internship program provides valuable training and experience for undergraduate and recently graduated students. Technical workshops for herbarium staff from around Australia are offered from time to time.

  Graduate Students
  Summer Studentships
  Botanical Internships

The CANBR does not have its own public relations staff. It relies on the Communications unit of CSIRO Plant Industry and the Public Programs unit of the Australian National Botanic Gardens to handle most organisational aspects, with the Centre providing the scientific input. Both parent organisations have well established procedures for dealing with the media, and both have public display spaces, theatrettes and facilities.

  Printed material
  Public lectures
  Displays
  The Press
  Herbarium tours

Interaction with the non-scientific community is an important part of the Centre's activities and takes a range of forms. The volunteer program allows interested members of the community to undertake satisfying work within a scientific institution while contributing significantly to the management of the collection. The plant enquiry service and public reference herbarium provides resources and information to the wider community, as does the exensive web site. The Australian Plant Image Index (APII) is an adjunct to the Herbarium data, but provides images to both popular and scientific publishers under a licencing arrangement.

  Volunteers Program
  Plant Enquiry Services
  Public reference herbarium
  Australian Plant Image Index
  Internet Web Pages
  Automated Web Queries
  Australian Plant Image Index

Scientific and Technical Staff

TEAM LEADERS

Monro, Anna #

STAFF, HONORARY ASSOCIATES & STUDENTS

Fagg, Murray (HRF)