12 Jan 2017
Catherine Cutler is the supervisor of the Mediterranean biome at the Eden project, Cornwall. She was awarded the David Miller Travel Bursary to study the flora of Western Australia’s south-west region, which is some of the most diverse on Earth.
Relatively little disturbance in the area for millions of years has enabled these plants to evolve and diversify in ancient, impoverished soil in a harsh climate. The Eden project is due to add a selection of this flora in spring 2017 and, in preparation for this, Catherine visited their natural habitat, furthering her understanding and learning new horticultural techniques that will aid the recreating of plant communities at Eden.
Connections were made with the horticultural teams at the Western Australia Botanic Garden at Kings Park, Perth, which will allow for continuing collaborations. Catherine highlighted her chance to see the Noongar people’s respectful and sustainable relationship with the land and the plants they need to survive. Overall, she believed the trip was ‘brilliantly successful’ and is very grateful for the opportunity.
You can read Catherine’s full report, including an overview of the places visited, here.
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