The Verrall Lecture 2023

“Managing tropical ecosystems for insect biodiversity”

Please join us for the Verrall lecture 2023, taking place at the Flett Theatre, Natural History Museum, London on March 1st 2023.

4pm (UK) refreshments, 4.30pm (UK) lecture

The Verrall is open to people visiting NHM on the day. If you cannot make it, not to worry – register below to watch the stream online.

The speaker for the Verrall Lecture 2023 will be Dr Edgar Turner.

Dr Edgar Turner

Associate Professor, Curator of Insects in the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge

Tutor for Access and Outreach, Clare College

Ed Turner is a conservation scientist who researches strategies that can be employed to conserve species diversity and healthy ecosystem functioning both in the UK and abroad. He is also a University Teaching Officer in the Department of Zoology, Curator of Insects in the University Museum of Zoology and a Fellow at Clare College, Cambridge.

His work includes investigating biodiversity of oil palm plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia on the BEFTA programme, the SAFE Project in Sabah, Malaysia that experimentally investigates the impact of rainforest fragmentation and collaborating with the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust in the UK, investigating insect diversity and management on chalk grassland reserves.

Managing tropical ecosystems for insect biodiversity – Edgar Turner

Tropical ecosystems contain an astonishing variety of life, but are increasingly threatened, particularly by logging, agricultural expansion, and the pervasive impacts of climate change. In this talk I will explore our ongoing work with collaborators in Malaysia and Indonesia investigating some of the impacts of forest logging and conversion to oil palm on insects, but also ways that landscapes can be managed to maintain and even increase insect biodiversity.

Ed is interested in insect ecology and conservation, with research projects based in both the UK and Southeast Asia. His research focusses on ways that human-modified landscapes can be managed to benefit biodiversity and healthy-functioning ecosystems, while still allowing other uses. With collaborators from universities, NGOs and the oil palm industry, Ed has studied the impacts of tropical agricultural expansion in Southeast Asia, particularly on insects, for about 20 years. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology, and Curator of Insects in the University Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge.

Find out about the history of the Verrall Lecture.

Know young people interested in entomology? Consider bringing them to the Young Verrall Lecture on March 4th where Edgar simplifies his talk for younger audiences.

Directions to the Flett Lecture theatre:

Enter the NHM via the Exhibition road entrance, go up three floors to the Flett lecture theatre which is on the left hand side as you enter, a lift is available.

Floor 1 on the RH side of the map here:

Note – We do not provide recordings of events or presentations as standard, unless otherwise stated.

This is to encourage in-person participation and foster the social and networking environment of like-minded researchers and enthusiasts.

Turn up to the venue in-person, or register to watch online.

The Verrall is open to people visiting NHM on the day. If you cannot make it, not to worry – register below to watch the stream online.

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