President’s view

Chris Russell, BGANZ President

Botanic Gardens — stories of recovery and regeneration

As the global pandemic continues to rage unabated in some parts of the world, the importance of our public green spaces

Chris Russell.

has never been more apparent. Restrictions on indoor gatherings and social distancing have made parks and gardens even more important as places to seek refuge and solace in a safe and ‘clean’ environment. Prolonged periods of isolation at home and restrictions on movement have meant that local gardens have been critical for the wellbeing of local communities, providing clean air, physical space and spiritual upliftment in our time of need. What may have been taken for granted by some is now becoming cherished by all as our perception of the fundamental importance of nature connection is fully realised. We simply cannot live fulfilling, healthy lives without exposure to nature, and for many people the local park or botanic garden is the only option. The seismic shift brought about by COVID-19 brings opportunities for botanic gardens to develop new audiences — not only the locals who might not have appreciated until now what is on their doorstep, but also opportunities to host new events and activities previously the domain of indoor venues. COVID-19 has turned many things on their heads and botanic gardens need more than ever to be agile to the changing needs of our communities.

Welcome to another edition of the BOTANIC GARDENer. From the outset I would like to acknowledge and thank our recently retired managing editor Helen Vaughan who oversaw the creation of five vibrant editions, and to welcome Rebecca Harcourt to the role. From humble beginnings, the magazine has evolved to become one of the most valued components of BGANZ membership (as indicated in the recent member survey), and all credit goes to the dedication of our creative editors, contributors, and CEO Eamonn Flanagan. This edition we hear some inspiring stories of recovery and regeneration, from fires to pandemics and beyond.

While all of this has been happening, your council has been working hard on the strategic review of BGANZ so that we can position ourselves to be even more relevant for you, our members, and in a position to grow sustainably into the future. The response to the online members’ survey and workshop has provided clarity and ideas to take us forward, which along with satisfying the governance requirements of achieving deductable gift recipient (DGR) status, will set us up for an exciting next chapter. In brief, DGR is about improving our ability to attract sponsors and strengthen our income stream, but we are also focussed on making our structure more efficient and effective at achieving our strategic goals including serving our members’ needs. We are working with consultant Leanne Muffet of Strategic Matters and receiving legal advice from TLC Lawyers to guide us through the process. Once we have a preferred model, we will come back to you with next steps in the process.

While talking about sponsorship, we are very excited to have entered a partnership with Plant Health Australia (PHA). PHA is the national coordinator of the government-industry partnership for biosecurity in Australia and has been collaborating with BGANZ for some time on the important role that botanic gardens play in pest surveillance. It is not only about protecting our living collections but also drawing on our biosecurity expertise and building capacity for the benefit of the environment and broader plant industries.

The plant records database project being led by Tex Moon and John Arnott in Victoria is progressing well, with tenders received currently being assessed. Our aim in the longer term is for BGANZ to facilitate an affordable, user-friendly plant records system across our entire network. This will help improve our understanding of the plants we hold in our living collections and give us a much better ability to share this information with each other and other botanic garden and plant conservation agencies.

On a final note, as a member of the 7th Global Botanic Gardens Congress organising committee, I can report that we have been closely watching the progress of the global pandemic and doing our best to predict how it might impact international travel to Melbourne. Clearly, we are still a fair way off from a vaccine being widely available and international borders reopening. We have explored the notion of holding a totally online forum, but the strong consensus is that there is primary and significant value in delegates physically experiencing the gardens and flora of the host region, as well as the important networking opportunities that are most effective face-to-face. With this in mind, we decided to delay the congress by 12 months with the new dates being 26 to 30 September 2022. This is an important global event for BGANZ working with hosts Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and we are committed to making it a great success. Stay connected by registering your interest at www.7gbgc.org.

Stay well in nature.

Seasol is proud to be supporting the Botanic Gardens Australia & New Zealand