Final call for abstracts: State of the World's Plants and Fungi Symposium Submit your abstract by 24 April and view the updated programme View in browser Dear friends and colleagues of Kew, The deadline to submit an abstract for a poster presentation at the State of the World's Plants and Fungi Symposium is approaching. Don't miss this opportunity to secure your place in the programme and share your work with a global audience. This year's symposium explores the digitisation of herbarium and fungarium collections, including its applications and implications. Join us for this important hybrid event, taking place at Kew Gardens and online from 29 June to 1 July 2026. Submit a poster abstract In-person participants are invited to submit an abstract for a poster presentation accompanied by a one-minute flash talk. We are currently accepting abstracts relating to: The digitisation of herbarium or fungarium specimens The use of digitised specimen data The applications and implications of using digitised specimen data Prizes will be awarded for the best student and early career researcher posters. Deadline for abstracts: 24 April 2026 Submit your abstract Submit your abstract Programme updates The programme features themed sessions where invited experts will explore critical topics through presentations and Q&A panel discussions, including: Digitisation success stories from around the world New frontiers in specimen science Unlocking specimen data to accelerate biodiversity knowledge Tapping into the biocultural wealth of collections Digital data, open access and sovereign rights Developing digital evidence for biodiversity policy Other highlights include: Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS, UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Anjali Goswami, Chief Scientific Adviser for the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Interactive workshop: A chance for in-person attendees to contribute ideas towards an open access publication focussed on increasing digitisation in biodiverse, low-income countries.Special session: Stay tuned for an announcement coming soon! View the programme For more information, visit the symposium web page. We look forward to welcoming you to the symposium. Best wishes, The State of the World's Plants and Fungi Steering Committee kew.org/sotwpf-symposium Select unsubscribe to stop getting any marketing emails The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew A non-departmental public body with exempt charitable status, established under the National Heritage Act 1983 Principal place of business: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB Kew Science (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)