Support institutions carrying out threatened plant species reintroductions and recovery for their long-term survival in the wild in honour of Anthony Hitchcock who committed his life to the conservation of endangered plants in southern Africa.

“I was fortunate to know and work with Anthony for nearly 20 years, and can testify to his passion, warmth and humility. His was a life well-lived, with significant achievements in plant conservation, and the respect of his peers around the world. He will be greatly missed but not forgotten, and I hope he would have approved of this fund set up in his name to further the work he was so passionate about.” – Paul Smith, Secretary General of BGCI

Anthony Hitchcock was a passionate and experienced horticulturist who pioneered the restoration of threatened fynbos and associated vegetation types in and around Cape Town, South Africa. Anthony, who was the Nursery, Living Collections and Threatened Species Manager at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden before taking early retirement in 2019, died on Tuesday 7 July 2020 of Covid-19 complications.

Anthony was a plantsman in the purest and truest sense of the word! He spent his entire professional life at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden as an active botanical horticulturist, prolific plant gatherer, compulsive seed collector, accomplished gardener, and unstinting mentor to so many. His legacy lies not only in these wonderful things that many remember him for, but also in his life’s work as an expert and world leader in the restoration and conservation of South Africa’s severely threatened fynbos. Read Anthony’s article, The restoration of Erica verticillata.

With support from his family, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the many individuals inspired by his work, BGCI is establishing the Anthony Hitchcock Species Recovery Fund to support institutions carrying out threatened plant species reintroductions and recovery for their long-term survival in the wild.

BGCI will be awarding the first Anthony Hitchcock Species Recovery Grants in 2020.