Now in Vancouver

Dear all:

I am back in Vancouver now, and as busy as ever with science research collaborations.

I hope you enjoyed my travels this summer. I will post a similar blog when I travel yonder for a PhD; I am keeping my sights on either Victoria (BC), New Zealand, or Australia...or who knows...maybe I can go to all these places if I pick the right project!

Please keep in touch,
Laura

Whirlwind Tour of Australia

In August, my mom and I zoomed through many parts of Australia. It was a packed tripped that was fun, albeit not very restful. We moved about too much to rest!

Provided below are samplings of what we did. I definitely can post more if you are interested, so please let me know!

Philip Island and the little penguin parade, i.e., natural evening migration of penguins to nesting sites. Penguins can wander up to parked cars, hence the sign…

Red Circle inhabitant, the bearded dragon, at a reptile centre in Alice Springs

Mom on a camel in the outback…her steed was a noisy creature

Urulu, a wonderful big red sandstone with cultural significance for the aboriginals

Great Barrier reef from the glass bottom boat

Butterfly museum, near Cairns...taking pictures of fluttering butterflies was a challenge!

The birds would hop on you (if you had food) at the bird museum, near Cairns:

I was asked to go up and dance. My mom said I kept the best timing of the volunteer dancers...I think she may have a biased opinion ;). At the aboriginal park we also learned how to throw boomerangs, and hunting spears!

Eucalyptus sp. standing majestically at the Blue Mountains. I did not hear any hype about Wollemia nobilis...which I found interesting!

XVIII International Botany Congress Meeting

I had a wonderful time at the international botany congress meeting in Melbourne, Australia! At IBC 2011, I saw a wide variety of intriguing talks and posters, went to a nomenclature meeting, reconnected with colleagues, and met new people. I gave an oral presentation (accepted through a peer-review process) at the congress. I hope I am able to attend the next congress in Shenzhen, China in 2017...















One of the many signs in the Melbourne Convention Centre, the conference venue.

There were four publications of a congress newspaper that are fun reading for those of you interested in some of the highlights of the meeting. The below newspaper clippings give you a taste... Please email me if you want any more details on what I personally saw and did. I would love to share more with you!

Some newspaper clippings: