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OxTalks will soon move to the new Halo platform and will become 'Oxford Events.' There will be a need for an OxTalks freeze. This was previously planned for Friday 14th November – a new date will be shared as soon as it is available (full details will be available on the Staff Gateway).
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The Natural Capital of Wasps
Seminar followed by Q&A and drinks – all welcome – join in person or online
Wasps are predators, natural enemies, pollinators and decomposers. They are also sources of nutrition for humans, potential pharmacological treasure chests and hold cultural value for indigenous communities around the world. Despite this, wasps remain under-valued. Part of the problem has been the lack of research on the importance of wasps. Whilst they have been popular models for social evolution and behavioural studies, there has been relatively little focus on their ecological roles and their utility and importance in supporting human health, food, culture and wellbeing. Seirian provides an interdisciplinary overview of the value of wasps using a holistic natural capital framework.
Seirian is a Professor of behavioural ecology at University College London. She studies social insects to understand their behaviour, ecology, evolution and role in ecosystems. She is especially interested in wasps, as models to understand phenotypic plasticity through the diversity they exhibit in caste differentiation and life-history. She uses a combination of field ecology and genomics to understand the mechanisms and evolution underlying alternative phenotypes and plasticity, within and between species. Alongside her work on phenotypic plasticity, she is interested in the ecological and cultural importance of wasps and is working hard to give wasps a PR makeover. As part of these efforts, she co-founded the Big Wasp Survey in 2017 – a citizen science project to engage the public with social wasps in their back yard. And in 2022 her book ‘Endless Forms: Why You Should Love wasps – was published, giving everyone a reason to better appreciate wasps. She was recently nominated to the Explorer’s Club EC50 Class of 2024 as one of 50 people changing the world, who the world needs to know about.
The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and Biodiversity Network are interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners.
The views, opinions and positions expressed within this lecture are those of the author alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery/Biodiversity Network, or its researchers.
Date:
21 November 2025, 16:15
Venue:
Dyson Perrins Building, off South Parks Road OX1 3QY
Venue Details:
Main lecture theatre (1st floor, lift available)
Speaker:
Seirian Sumner (University College London)
Organising department:
Environmental Change Institute
Organisers:
Carlyn Samuel (University of Oxford),
Jane Applegarth (University of Oxford, Oxford University Centre for the Environment)
Organiser contact email address:
biodiversity@ouce.ox.ac.uk
Host:
Professor Yadvinder Malhi (University of Oxford)
Part of:
Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and the Biodiversity Network seminar series
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://bookwhen.com/oxfordbiodiversitynetwork
Cost:
Free
Audience:
Public
Editors:
Jane Applegarth,
Carlyn Samuel
