Event:Unknown Wales Conference 2025

Join us for a morning of exciting public talks about the latest in Welsh wildlife.

Now in its 15^th year, Unknown Wales features top speakers from all corners of Wales, sharing news of their latest nature discoveries and projects. 

With updates from enthusiasts working with animals and plants on the front line, from the depths of history to facing the future, there’s something to suit all tastes.

Either join us live in the beautiful Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre at National Museum Cardiff, or sign up to watch along online. 

This is your chance to hear from the experts, and to ask your questions.

Click to download Unknown Wales programme

Speakers for 2025

The Morrey Salmon bird photography collection – saved and made available

Cardiff Naturalists’ Society

The collection of glass plate negatives and other items donated to Cardiff Naturalists’ Society by Colonel Morrey Salmon, a famous bird photographer, has been in the museum stores for around 50 years. This talk gives a brief introduction to the man, his passion for bird photography and the project bringing these pictures to you to enjoy.

Flat Holm/Ynys Echni: the wildlife of Cardiff’s unknown island 

Sarah Morgan, Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales

Just 5 miles off the coast of Cardiff on Flat Holm you can find rare flesh-eating beetles, a fungal stowaway from New Zealand and wrens with a continental accent. Flat Holm has a unique ecology and rich history, with many unknowns still to uncover.

Thomas Pennant (1726-1828) and Reading the World

Edwin Rose, Leeds University

Thomas Pennant became one of Wales’ most celebrated naturalists and antiquarians. Hear from the author of a new book how Pennant's pioneering work and influence spread far beyond his native Flintshire - and remain relevant today.

Why we should love wasps

Seirian Sumner, University College London; author of “Endless Forms: Why We Should Love Wasps”

There’s a lot more to wasps than our stripy picnic friends: wasps matter to people and the world. There are five times more species of wasps than bees, and their endless forms are windows into evolution’s most remarkable inventions. Join us on a journey into the secret world of wasps that will blow your mind!

Chinese Mitten Crabs, a pain in the bank side

Holly Peek, Natural Resources Wales 

The invasive non-native Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) poses a serious threat to riverbanks and native biodiversity by burrowing into banks, damaging infrastructure, and outcompeting local species. Imaginative research by Natural Resources Wales and Aberystwyth University is investigating new ways to find and trap crabs in the River Dee!

More Information

• Unknown Wales will be held at the Reardon Smith Theatre, National Museum Cardiff.
• Entry is via the North Door which is located on Park Place, not the main museum entrance.
• Doors open at 9.30am, with the talks from 10am to 1pm. There will be a short comfort break during the morning.
• The programme for the morning will be provided closer to the conference but this may be subject to last minute changes.
• This is a hybrid event, so you can watch speakers live in the Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre at National Museum Cardiff or watch virtually.
• This is a live event, so the conference will not be available to watch afterwards.
• There is a charge of £5 per ticket, in person or online, towards the cost of hosting the event. Tickets can be purchased online only. Unfortunately, we cannot accept cash transactions on the door. Please purchase your ticket before the event.
• The talks will be in the speakers’ first language. 
• Drinks are not provided but you are welcome to bring your own. Or why not catch up with friends after the conference in the museum coffee shop? 
• Suggested age suitability 12+. 
• Unknown Wales is a collaboration between Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales and the Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales.