Flying foxes are often an under-appreciated and misunderstood animal,

The grey-headed flying fox is only found in Australia and are vital to the health and wellbeing of many of our forests - helping disperse the seeds and pollinate over 100 species.

About 10,000 grey-headed flying foxes roost in pine trees around the Botanic Gardens and Botanic Park.

A protected native species, flying foxes are relatively new to South Australia, starting to arrive about a decade ago, possibly due to the changing availability of food resources driven by climate.

We welcome you to join renowned and award-winning Wildlife and Conservation Photojournalist Doug Gimesy, whose work is featured in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, for a talk on this native species.

After Doug’s talk, we will go outside with him to experience these magnificent flying mammals by listening to their chatter and then watch them head out for the night to forage.

Doug will talk about why he has fallen in love with Australia's grey-headed flying-foxes, their importance, why they are under threat, and finally what we all can do to help this vulnerable species.

About Doug

Doug Gimesy is a professional conservation and wildlife photojournalist who focuses on Australian issues. A four-time finalist in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the year and the inaugural winner of the WildScreen Panda Photo Story Awards, he also recently won the Big Picture Natural World Photography Competition’s Human/Nature category, and one of his platypus images now appears on the current $1.20 stamp.

A Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), his clients include National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, The Smithsonian, Australian Geographic, as well various mastheads like The Guardian.

Believing people should focus on the issues they care about and those that are close to home, his recent work has focused on the conservation and animal welfare issues facing the platypus and the grey-headed flying fox.

His hope is that the images and information he shares, will inspire people to stop, think, and treat the world more kindly.

Event details

Dates: Friday 1 December 2023

Times:
5:00pm - 8:00pm - Pop-up bar and Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will be open.
7:30pm - 8:45pm - Fantastic Flying Foxes with Doug Gimesy

Location:
Pop-up bar and Exhibition - Bicentennial Conservatory southern end, Adelaide Botanic Garden (D12 on the map).
Fantastic Flying Foxes with Doug Gimesy - Goodman Building Lecture Theatre, Adelaide Botanic Garden (E17 on the map).

Tickets: $25.00
This ticket includes the Fantastic Flying Foxes with Doug Gimesy talk, a drink on arrival and complimentary access to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition on the evening.

Proudly Supported by Diamonds Camera

For more of our 'Wildlife in Focus' series at the Adelaide Botanic Garden, please visit Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia website.

Picture of Wildlife Photographer of the Year at dusk. Photograph by Rossina Possingham

Photograph at top by: Doug Gimesy