I am an academic at the Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University (Albury, Australia).

By background, I am cultural heritage specialist. Currently I am working on the research project "Palms in the Anthropocene".

This project explores the interface between palms planted as ornamentals and the animal species that use these as habitats and sources of food. In particular it will

i) examine the history of introduction, marketing and distribution Washingtonia spp. and Phoenix canariensis as horticultural plants;

ii) review their role in urban landscaping;

iii) compile the nature, role and range of volant and terrestrial dispersal vectors for these palms;

iv) assess patterns of their establishment, naturalisation and adaptation to urban, peri-urban, and rural landscapes; and

v) understand the role of these palms in the creation of novel ecosystems.

A number of papers derived from this can be accessed here:
https://www.researchgate.net/project/Palms-in-the-Anthropocene