News published: 19 March 2024. Updated 04 April 2024

*Extension to Deadline – 19 April 2024*

The University of British Columbia Botanical Garden is currently working on a global project to develop a ‘Menu of Climate Adaptation Actions for Botanical Gardens.’ (Peter Symes, former Curator at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens is providing support for this project).

This innovation is intended to be a free and evolving source of inspiration and practical actions to support arboreta, botanical gardens (and other diverse landscapes) in adapting to climate change—regardless of their resources.

The current focus of the Menu of Climate Adaptation Actions is on the management of landscapes, living collections, and plant conservation.

Aims of this project include providing ideas and real choices to assist garden staff with limited resources overcome climate challenges, so that they can identify and choose suitable adaptation options.

We are planning to have a working prototype of the Menu of Climate Adaptation Actions for Botanical Gardens completed by August 2024 for review by the attendees at the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress in Singapore.

Your insights are crucial in shaping the effective design and implementation of the Menu of Climate Adaptation Actions for Botanical Gardens.

Now is your opportunity to tell us and the global botanic community about interesting and innovative adaptation initiatives/actions that you are involved with or know about!

Your responses might already include the following non-exclusive areas:
– biosecurity and pest management
– climate risk assessments
– education programs
– irrigation and water management
– living collections curation
– networking and partnerships
– planning and policy development
– plant selection
– professional development
– protection of plant biodiversity and plant conservation
– soil improvement and health
– …………etc

Thank you in anticipation for your contribution to this project. Please submit your survey responses by 19th April 2024.

For more information, please contact:
Peter Symes, project consultant, peter.e.symes@outlook.com
Dionne Bunsha, project coordinator, UBC Botanical Garden, dionne.bunsha@ubc.ca