People and nature: Sarah Bürli is the scientific director of the Botanical Garden

Plant ecologist Sarah Bürli optimises the relationship between people and nature. Photo: Uni Graz/Ulli Grube

How do we treat nature? This is the question that concerns Sarah Bürli, the new scientific director of the Botanical Garden at the University of Graz. Among other things, she has learned from Māori how the connection between people and plants can grow.

When she talks about the red, brush-like flowers of the pōhutukawa, she is full of enthusiasm. Until recently, Sarah Bürli marvelled at the New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros excelsa) in person in its native country, now in the Botanical Garden in Graz. Prior to coming to Graz at the beginning of January, she worked for two years in Aotearoa / New Zealand. At the Auckland University of Technology, Bürli worked on the restoration of native forests in partnership with Māori.
“Māori have a profound connection to the land. They are not merely owners; they are stewards, nurturing and safeguarding it for future generations.” Sarah Bürli wants to strengthen this idea at her new workplace: “The relationship between people and plants is important to me. It's also about ethical questions of how we treat nature.”

Reconnect with nature

The Botanical Garden plays an important role in the city. ‘It offers visitors the opportunity to feel comfortable and to reconnect with nature.’ And at the same time to recognise the responsibility we have as a society for the environment.
The fact that the Garden as part of the University of Graz is primarily a scientific institution, is another decisive factor for Bürli. She plans to conduct research on the ecology and conservation of rare and alpine plant species, investigating effective strategies to protect these plants amidst the profound changes climate change is causing in ecosystems. Here, the sees good opportunities for herself to apply her scientific expertise to the core research area climate change.

Favourite plant?

Does a botanist have a favourite plant? “Astrantia major,” she answers after a moment's thought. The flower reminds the Lausanne-born Swiss of her childhood in the Alps: ‘Of the insects whirring in the air and the intense sunlight.’ One of her favourite trees is the larch (Larix decidua) and, of course, the red flowers of the pōhutukawa, which Bürli can also enjoy in the Botanical Garden. And as its new scientific director Sarah Bürli will probably discover many more favourites among the 7,500 plant species in the Botanical Garden of the University of Graz.

After the retirement of Christian Berg, Sarah Bürli again completes the management team of the Botanical Garden. She is responsible for the research agendas, while Jonathan Wilfling is the technical director.

Andreas Schweiger

Related news

Jurassic Sounds: Biologist reconstructs insect songs from 165 million years ago

It was apparently not just the roars of the dinosaurs that made up the soundscape of the animal world during the Jurassic period. Crickets and grasshoppers communicated through a variety of songs and high-pitched sounds, as Thorin Jonsson from the Institute of Biology at the University of Graz discovered together with colleagues from the universities of Lincoln, Bristol (UK), Beijing (China) and Tempe (USA). The findings on what are so far the oldest traces of sound on Earth have just been published in the journal PNAS.

EU funding boosts international exchange between universities

The University of Graz is further expanding its international study opportunities through the European university alliance Arqus and is taking the lead in two key projects. In future, students will benefit from even more joint degree programmes and from simplified recognition of academic achievements through the Joint European Degree Label.

Rescue and risks: Researchers have surveyed public perceptions of AI

The use of artificial intelligence has had to be made transparent since 2 August 2026. The EU’s AI Act, which has been in force since then, also sets out how risky an application is and which security measures apply as a result. However, the assessment of risks by the legislation differs in some cases significantly from the perceptions of the Austrian public. This is the finding of a representative study carried out by data scientist Stefan Thalmann from the University of Graz and his team.

The Healing Sea: Researchers discover new approaches to treating chronic inflammation in sponges

Chronic inflammation plays a key role in many diseases, ranging from metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases to tissue damage following injuries or infections. “Normally, the body is able to resolve inflammation on its own. If this process becomes unbalanced, immune cells remain permanently active and continue to drive negative changes in the tissue,” explains Andreas Koeberle, a pharmacist at the University of Graz.