General admission to this event has now sold out. There will not be tickets available on the door - please join the waitlist using Eventbrite if you would like to claim any tickets that become available.

Through millions of years of evolution, the structures and processes of organisms have resolved many of the engineering and environmental challenges facing the modern world–we just need to look, observe, and learn.

Botanical gardens are “idea libraries,” places where a wealth of these solutions have been assembled near the doorsteps of the scientists, engineers, and designers tackling these issues.

Join us for the Canadian premiere of The Garden of Secrets. Created in partnership with UBC Botanical Garden, this fascinating documentary explores the influence of plants on architecture, design and engineering. The screening will be followed by a discussion.

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum will be yours to explore for the evening, including a guided tour of extensive research collections housing over 2 million specimens.

Schedule:

6:00pm - What is Biodiversity? museum tour

6:30pm - The Garden of Secrets screening in the auditorium

7:00pm - Panel discussion with invited guests

Nathalie Attallah, Director

Nathalie Attallah is of Lebanese and Greek origin; she spent her childhood in Alexandria, Egypt and adolescence in Copenhagen, Denmark. For her higher education, Nathalie moved to the UK and earned a BSc in Psychology at the University of East Anglia and then an MSc in Digital Anthropology at University College London. Most recently, her film “Language of Aroma” was part of a campaign that premiered at SXSW 2019, NYCxDesign, LA Design Festival and San Francisco Design Week. Her first film “Water on Sand” has screened at DOXA in Vancouver and at the Beirut International Film Festival in Lebanon. Nathalie is interested in exploring social issues around inclusivity and representation.

Kelty McKinnon, Landscape Architect

As a landscape architect and partner at PFS Studio, Kelty specializes in the creation of unique, innovative public spaces that are both culturally and ecologically rich. Her work spans across scales from intimate gardens to cultural precincts, and includes waterfront parks, streetscapes and public plazas.

Daniel Mosquin, Research and Biodiversity Informatics Manager at UBC Botanical Garden

Daniel has been observing and documenting plants through writing and photography for almost two decades at UBC Botanical Garden, where he is presently the Garden's Research Manager. He is also an educator and presenter, with the guiding principle that the best way to understand a subject is to be responsible for teaching others correctly.