From 1986 to 2003, Prof Hallé was the team leader of several canopy raft expeditions to many parts of the world. A recipient of the prestigious Fairchild Award for tropical botany, Prof Hallé has published many scientific papers and several books.

Prof Hallé is also a skilled artist and his interest in tree architecture and plants resulted in pioneering work on the branching or architectural patterns of plants. His book, Tropical Trees and Forests, an Architectural Analysis (with Oldeman & Tomlinson) (Springer Verlag, 1978), deals with the various architectural types displayed by trees and is one of the most frequently-consulted sources in literature on tropical botany.

For many scientists and laypersons, however, Prof Hallé is perhaps best known for his fascinating and thought-provoking, semi-popular book, In Praise of Plants (Timber Press, 2002). This remarkable book, translated from the original French, presents a highly original appreciation of plants from Prof Hallé’s unique viewpoint – both scientific and emotional. It is a must-read book which is without equal amongst literature on plants.

Prof Hallé visited the University of Pretoria as a guest of the Centre for Environmental Studies and his visit had the support of the French Embassy, Pretoria.

To listen to or download Prof Hallé’s presentation, click here.