Functional Microbes in Urban Restoration – Thriving Cities Webinar Series

Part of the Thriving Cities: Reweaving Ecology, Culture, and Community webinar series | 🗓 29 October 2025 | 🕛 12:00 – 12:30 pm

Urban spaces aren’t often the first places we think of when talking about biodiversity—but beneath the concrete, there’s a world of life shaping the health and resilience of our cities. This month’s Thriving Cities webinar dives into the hidden work of functional microbes and their role in urban restoration.

A tūi bird rests on harakeke on Mount Victoria, Wellington.

Microbial ecologists Dr Craig Liddicoat (Flinders University) and Dr Kasey Kiesewetter (University of Waikato) will share findings from long-term studies that trace how microbial diversity, composition, and metabolic activity evolve throughout restoration projects across Aotearoa New Zealand’s urban landscapes.

Their research highlights how soil microbes act as both indicators and drivers of healthy ecosystems—linking the wellbeing of our soils, plants, and people. From DNA-based surveys of soils to the restoration of microbial networks in urban green spaces, their work helps us understand how even the smallest organisms contribute to the larger story of urban resilience.

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