Botanic news: from home and abroad

Botanic news: from home and abroad

Eamonn Flanagan, CEO, BGANZ Ltd

7th GBGC BGCI/BGANZ Congress

It was great to catch up with many BGANZ members at the recent Congress held in Melbourne. After so many years of planning, and changes of plan due to COVID-19, it was amazing so many people were able to gather in person.

Eamonn on his way to the Congress dinner the Melbourne way!

As always, BGCI and BGANZ Congresses bring together so many ideas and so much energy from around the globe and this congress was no different.

A huge thank you to Chris Russell and his team for a great congress. The next BGCI Congress is to be held in Singapore 2024. This may clash with the next BGANZ Congress, so we are looking to find an appropriate date.

BGANZ on the move

New Board

BGANZ continues its evolution – details of new Board members can be found elsewhere in this magazine – but its members’ connection and desire to get involved is also changing.

Pandemic unites BGANZ

If the pandemic brought any benefits for botanic gardens, it was the ability of members to meet online. For the first time, members were able to meet in Zoom or Teams rooms. Previously we only could see each other at a congress, held every two years, and that’s if you or your colleagues could afford to go.

And I think we are now seeing the benefits of this innovative engagement over the last three years.

We are delighted to welcome Karen Zeng in her role as volunteer social media communications officer. She is currently a PhD student in the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre at the University of NSW in Sydney. Karen was one of the volunteers who helped us promote member gardens’ social media posts during Botanic Gardens Month this year. Since June, she has continued to promote member gardens, and educate members and the broader community about the projects member gardens are involved in, as well as share other posts that might be of interest to our members. Thank you, Karen!

BCARM recently saw Emma Simpkins (née Bodley) step down as her career took her out of botanic gardens, for now at least. Emma was an outstanding BGANZ Council member, BGANZ NZ member and BCARM Chair. In the past some of these leadership roles were difficult to fill, whereas now we have Sheree Parker (Geelong Botanic Gardens) as new BCARM Chair supported by Dr Amelia Martyn Yenson (Australian Network for Plant Conservation), ensuring a great team is in place to take things forward.

Similarly, BGEN Chair Ben Liu recently stepped down, and is replaced by the new BGEN Convenor/ Chair Paul Swift (Auckland Botanic Gardens) supported by Helen McHugh (Australian National Botanic Gardens), ensuring an experienced team will take the group forward.

From Congress came a proposal to start a new BGANZ professional group. This group, yet to be approved and named, will cover arborists in botanic gardens. If you’d like more information or to register your interest, please email Eamonn at secretariat@bganz.org.au. Or if you’d like to nominate the acronym fire away! (Rebecca has already suggested ‘BAG’, BGANZ Arborist Group, and I suggest ‘Barbor’).

We are always aiming to increase member opportunities and encourage members to take the next step in their professional development.

BGANZ recently assisted seven members to attend the 7th GBGC in Melbourne – each grant recipient received a free Congress registration which included the Congress, Congress dinner and several Congress tours, valuing around $1500 per person.

Sandy Wood and Eamonn

Jennifer Duval-Smith and Eamonn

The BGANZ 7th GBGC winners were:

Paul Swift, Auckland Botanic Gardens, NZ

Paula Candiotto, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, NZ

Marcela Moreno, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, NZ

Sandy Wood, Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens, QLD

Helena Stockheim, Picton Botanic Gardens, NSW

Ibrahim Muharrem, Picton Botanic Gardens, NSW

Stuart Elder, Rockhampton Botanic Gardens, QLD

Jennifer Duval-Smith, Botanic artist and nature journalist, NZ.

BGANZ Awards 2022

BGANZ has three Professional Development Awards each year. The award winners for 2022 BGANZ Professional Development Awards were announced at the Congress. (Please note: no applications were received for BGANZ – American Public Gardens Association Congress Registration in 2022).

Professional Scholarship: Value $2,000 AUD Thomas Mehlhose, Rockhampton Botanic Gardens.

Thomas Mehlhose

Young Member Award: Value $500 AUD Caitin Abela, The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.

Caitlin Abela

BGCI – Marsh Awards

BGCI also announced the Marsh Awards at the Congress in Melbourne. I was delighted to see Dr Amelia Martyn Yenson receiving the Marsh Award for International Plant Conservation.

Amelia receiving her award.