Diego Molina

Diego Molina is a Research Fellow at the Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London. A former botanist turned human geographer and environmental historian, he explores human-plant relationships, urbanization, and transatlantic botanical exchanges. His work bridges non-Western botanical philosophy and the socio-environmental impacts of capitalism. He holds a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship and previously was a Rachel Carson Fellow in Munich.

Research focuses include 19th-century ornamental plant exchanges between Europe and the Andes, tropical urban ecologies, and symbolic transformations of flora like Colombia’s wax palm. He has authored books such as Planting a City in the Tropical Andes (2024) and contributed to interdisciplinary journals like Plant Perspectives.

Key projects include investigating Thomas M. Dawe’s botanical expeditions and the historical development of Bogotá’s flora. His invited talks and peer reviews reflect engagement with global environmental debates. Current grants fund studies on transatlantic plant exchanges and the cultural significance of palms in Colombia.