Professional Networks: News from BCARM

Sheree Parker, Supervisor, Geelong Botanic Gardens, Chair of BCARM

The formation of the BGANZ Collection and Records Management group (BCARM) in 2019 has led to some great initiatives supported and driven by the BCARM Committee, and supported by the BCARM community. These include:

• The Hortis database. Now rolled out to over 20 gardens, it will establish a record system that enhances the data collected, allowing easier collection of data for regional gardens.

• The wonderfully successful monthly plant forums. Each month we have many members join, showcasing the unique niche that is a botanic garden.

They help to inspire us with the world of plant collections, and how we manage and enhance collections into the future.

I work as part of a great small team at a regional botanic garden in Geelong. We don’t have a dedicated staff member to look after our plant records and we juggle many jobs between horticulture, general maintenance, with record keeping squished somewhere in between, left for those rainy or stifling hot days! Most of my horticultural work has been spent in Far North Queensland in wholesale/retail nurseries and private gardens and while we documented our work, we did not document it to the extent that best practice would suggest for a botanic garden.

I have been with Geelong Botanic Gardens for five years now and love it. As with most regional gardens, we face challenges in relation to collections management. The most apparent challenges are how we access expertise in managing plant collections, training our staff, and ensuring successful and useful accurate data is kept. That’s when I joined BCARM and started the journey of records and collections. While I feel out of my comfort zone as Chair, I know it’s a wonderful opportunity to dive into the collections and records management space, to increase my knowledge and expertise. The value of this will be reflected in Geelong’s records and eventually (fingers crossed!) help guide others.

As with most regional gardens, we face challenges in relation to collections management.

In 2023 BCARM is set to review the Living Collections Tookits. This will tie in with one of our aims, of 'fostering collaboration and advocating for best practices in collections and associated records management (collections management) across the BGANZ membership'.

We can achieve this by:

• Holding bi-monthly forums. This will allow us to discuss ideas, best practices, initiatives, new technologies, labelling, record management systems, evolution of records, research, and development. Also, to see what we have all been up to in this space!

• Looking into common themes across the recent Congress and BGANZ. Topics could include horticulture conservation, engaging more people to train in the profession and professional development for those of us already within the industry.

• By developing networks across the community of botanic gardens. This will allow us to access a range of information and inspiration that will benefit the whole BGANZ community, from volunteer and regional to urban or city-based gardens. This will create a future for collections and record management, which underlies what we do every day at work.

To find out more about BCARM, to be added to the mailing list for forums, or if you have a related story, passion or idea to share/explore, please contact me at sparker2@geelongcity.vic.gov.au