Laura Watts, the Collections Development Coordinator for the Australian PlantBank (PlantBank), based at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, is deeply immersed in the intricate world of botanical conservation.
With a Bachelor of Environmental Biology from the University of Technology Sydney, and First Class Honours in Ecology from the University of New South Wales, Laura's academic background perfectly complements her role in preserving Australia's rich biodiversity.
In her position, Laura oversees state-wide seed and germplasm collections within the Seedbank and Conservation Collections team. She collaborates both with other teams at the Gardens, and with external organisations like the Australian Seedbank Partnership, on projects including Saving our Species. Laura aims to make high-quality conservation collections of as much of the diverse flora of New South Wales as possible. She navigates the complexities of fieldwork logistics and planning, orchestrating delicate operations to collect vital genetic material from these varied areas.
A typical day for Laura can involve anything from tours of the state-of-the-art Seedbank facilities, to training, planning, reporting on or analysing data, as well as lab work processing seeds, setting up germination experiments, and the fieldwork she cherishes. She finds immense satisfaction in successfully coordinating complex logistics and making intuitive decisions on the ground, especially when there are tangible outcomes.
Proud of her team's resilience during challenging times, Laura reflects on their efforts in recent years. Fieldwork presents numerous hurdles, from navigating Covid-19 restrictions, drought, fires and floods. Despite facing these obstacles they continued making collections and meeting project objectives, reinforcing the urgency of their mission. Laura is proud of the team for continuing to provide vital material in support of many research projects despite these challenges.
For Laura, the colourful Banksia robur or the Swamp Banksia, epitomises the beauty and significance of Australia's botanical treasures. Although found along much of the east coast of New South Wales, it holds special significance for her due to its occurrence in one of her favourite vegetation communities, the threatened Coastal Upland Swamps in the Sydney Basin Bioregion.
Laura's career path was influenced by her upbringing, where weekends exploring the bush with her family instilled a deep connection to nature. A transformative experience volunteering at a wildlife sanctuary in Brazil during her gap year – coupled with volunteer work during her undergraduate years on threatened orchid conservation projects and the Rainforest Seed Conservation Project – solidified her love for botany. Through her work at PlantBank, Laura continues to make significant contributions to the conservation and understanding of Australia's unique flora.
Laura can involve anything from tours of the state-of-the-art Seedbank facilities, to training, planning, reporting on or analysing data, as well as lab work processing seeds, setting up germination experiments, and the fieldwork she cherishes.