Media & Speaking
Making plant extinction understandable.
I speak with scientific, conservation, media, and public audiences about plant extinction, botanical discovery, conservation strategy, and what it takes to move rare species from recognition of risk toward recovery.
Featured Presentation
The Future for Plant Conservation
National Botanical Symposium
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Washington, D.C. · May 2026
Signature Speaking Topics
Conversations that move from knowing to action.
The Future of Plant Conservation
Moving from documenting biodiversity to coordinated conservation and recovery, and building the partnerships, collections, data, and capacity needed to prevent extinction.
What is it? Where is it? How is it doing?
Building the information infrastructure needed to understand and conserve an entire flora by connecting taxonomy, geography, conservation status, and action.
The Rarest Plants in America
What plants known from only one or a handful of places teach us about extinction, urgency, botanical discovery, and the conservation actions required to keep them on the landscape.
From Knowing Plants to Saving Them
Botanical discovery, extinction, and the evolution from understanding biodiversity to taking action, with stories from the field and lessons for the future of conservation.
Selected talks
2025 · KEYNOTE
Why Plant Conservation Matters and Why Now
Texas Plant Conservation Conference · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin
2023 · PUBLIC LECTURE
The Race Against Plant Extinction
Polly Hill Arboretum and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
2020 · SCIENTIFIC LECTURE
Vascular Plant Extinctions in the United States and Canada
New York Botanical Garden
In the Media
Selected media
Stories and conversations bringing plant extinction, rediscovery, and conservation science to broader audiences.
PBS NEWSHOUR
Trees across the U.S. face dire threats
On the first comprehensive assessment of native U.S. trees and what their decline means for ecosystems.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
An ‘Extinction Hotspot’ in Appalachia
The story of Marshallia grandiflora, extinction, and the botanical work required to recognize what has been lost.
MARFA PUBLIC RADIO
The Lost Oak of the Chisos
An audio story from Big Bend about the rediscovery of Quercus tardifolia and the race to conserve it.
A WAY TO GARDEN
Taking Stock of Native Plants
A conversation about biodiversity data, rare plants, U.S. trees, and fieldwork searching for Quercus tardifolia.
Media Kit
Resources for media and speaking.
Download a concise media and speaker kit with biographical information, areas of expertise, signature speaking topics, selected appearances and media, and contact information. A high-resolution headshot is also available for editorial and event use.
Speaking & Media Inquiries
Interested in having me speak?
I welcome opportunities to speak with scientific organizations, botanical gardens, conservation groups, universities, foundations, public audiences, podcasts, and media about botany, extinction, rare plants, and conservation strategy.
Wesley Knapp 