BGCI is delighted to announce that we’ve partnered with The Botanist to further the conservation of endangered and rare plants species, through BGCI’s Global Botanic Garden Fund.

What is The Botanist?

The Botanist is a dry gin conceived, distilled and handcrafted on Islay using 22 foraged island botanicals at Bruichladdich Distillery. Professional forager, James Donaldson, hand-picks the botanicals for the gin one by one throughout spring, summer and autumn which are then dried carefully before being distilled. The 22 botanicals are slow simmer distilled with pure Islay spring water in a unique Lomond Still, affectionately nicknamed ‘Ugly Betty’, by Head Distiller Adam Hannett. The result is a gin that speaks of the locality and seasonality of the island.

Why have we joined forces?

B-Corp certified, The Botanist’s mission is to help people reconnect to nature. Through its own sustainable foraging on the Isle of Islay, the brand recognises the significance of plant conservation and biodiversity, which is why they set up their own foundation, with a mission “to work with the people of Islay and beyond to further the understanding and conservation of the island’s biodiversity.”

Douglas Taylor, CEO of Bruichladdich Distillery, makers of The Botanist says:

“For a number of years now we’ve supported plant conservation and environmental projects on Islay. We’re proud to join forces with BGCI which is at the heart of an incredible global network of Botanical Gardens, instigating important work in the fields of plant conservation and plant education.”

Dr Paul Smith, BGCI Secretary-General says;

“Together, we will prevent the extinction of plant species and raise public awareness of the value of plants to people. We are thrilled to be working with the great people at The Botanist and Bruichladdich Distillery. Through their support to BGCI and their own sustainability efforts, The Botanist demonstrates not only best practice, but true leadership.”

The Botanist Foundation and BGCI’s Global Botanic Garden Fund

Over the years, The Botanist Foundation has invested in non-profit, environmental, educational and social initiatives on Islay and beyond. It is a charitable foundation that funds projects which further work in biodiversity and plant conservation. These initiatives have included: ‘The Pollinator Project’, which explored the biodiversity of Islay’s roadside verges; a juniper reintroduction program to support juniper growth on the island; and a number of educational initiatives like bursaries, career talks, and the development of a sensory garden to educate students on practical horticulture to keep young people invested in the island.

Now, in addition to its existing projects, The Foundation will sponsor BGCI’s Global Botanic Garden Fund, through specific initiatives set out within the partnership between BGCI and The Botanist.

Recipients of the Fund Sponsored by The Botanist

The partnership launches with the sponsorship of four gardens that will benefit significantly from our support to promote conservation practices, policy and education and infrastructure development. These gardens are:

• Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa
• National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Hawaii
• Clavijero Botanical Garden, Mexico
• Tooro Botanic Gardens x MUSE (Italy), a collaborative project between two gardens in Uganda and Italy – Mountains of the Moon (Rwenzori mountains) Uganda

Please use this opportunity to follow The Botanist’s social channels to find out how we are supporting these gardens through BGCI’s Global Botanic Garden Fund together.

Instagram/FB/Twitter: @thebotanistgin

Facebook Live with Dr Paul Smith and Jane Carswell

We would like to invite you to a Facebook live on Friday 24th July at 17:00 BST with Dr Paul Smith, BGCI Secretary General, and Jane Carswell, Content Manager at The Botanist.

Tune in to The Botanist’s Facebook page to find out more about the partnership and ask them any questions you may have about plant conservation and the work we’ll be supporting through BGCI’s Global Botanic Garden Fund.

For the next seven days, The Botanist is hosting a partnership takeover on their social channels. You can visit their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter channels for more information: @thebotanistgin

Further recipients of grants sponsored by The Botanist will be announced at a later date.