Botany, art & conservation

Dr Laura Skates is a botanist, artist, and environmental educator living and working in the beautiful green city of Perth, Western Australia, on Whadjuk Noongar country.

In her research, Laura is fascinated by how plants interact with the world, and how people interact with plants. She completed her PhD on the nutrition and ecology of carnivorous plants, followed by an Australian Postgraduate Research Internship on science communication at botanic gardens.

Laura recently co-led the Turning Gardeners into Conservationists citizen science project, researching the benefits of wildlife-friendly gardening for both biodiversity and human well-being.

As an environmental educator and researcher, Laura enjoys listening, learning, discovering and sharing the stories of people and plants.

You can find her on Instagram @floraskates