Science at the Local - August 2026

Sunday 9th August at 2pm

Botanical Backup: How Seeds Can Save Our Most Threatned Species

Dr. Nathan Emery, Botanical Gardens of Sydney

Dead Reckoning: How Forensic Scientists Determine Time Since Death

Dr. Hayley Green, Western Sydney University

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Nathan is the Manager of Seedbank & Conservation Collections at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney. With a PhD from the University of Sydney, his expertise spans seed biology, threatened species conservation and translocation, and ecological restoration, with a strong focus on using seed science to help safeguard Australia’s unique plant diversity. Nathan's work combines field-based seed collection, plant monitoring and translocation with laboratory research into seed banking, germination and plant establishment.

Hayley is a forensic anthropologist and Senior Lecturer in Human Anatomy at Western Sydney University. Her research focuses on how human remains decompose in Australian environments and how forensic scientists can use this information to help identify individuals and estimate time since death. She completed her PhD at the University of New South Wales, investigating human skeletal variation, and now collaborates with researchers at Australia's renowned Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER), often known as the "Body Farm." Combining expertise in anatomy, anthropology, and forensic science, Dr Green's work helps improve the scientific methods used in criminal investigations and missing persons cases. She is also an award-winning educator and passionate science communicator, dedicated to making forensic science accessible to the public.