BGCI is delighted to provide an update on year two of our partnership with The Botanist. Following on from supporting four gardens in 2019-20, through BGCI’s Global Botanic Garden Fund, The Botanist continues to amplify the conversation around endangered and rare plants species, through the support of another three projects.

What is The Botanist?

The Botanist is a dry gin that’s handcrafted on Islay at Bruichladdich Distillery, one of the only distilleries in the world to be B Corp certified. Professional forager, James Donaldson, hand-picks 22 Islay botanicals throughout spring, summer and autumn which are then dried carefully before being distilled. The 22 botanicals are slow simmer distilled in a unique Lomond Still, affectionately nicknamed ‘Ugly Betty’, by Head Distiller Adam Hannett. The result is a balanced and versatile gin that captures the essence of its island home. Since 2015, The Botanist has supported biodiversity both nationally and internationally through its eponymous Foundation.

Douglas Taylor, CEO of Bruichladdich Distillery, makers of The Botanist said: “The Global Botanic Garden fund is more important now than ever, supporting conservation efforts in a world changed by Covid-19. I know many botanic gardens around the world were forced to close and endure a difficult year, while the fight to prevent the extinction of vital plants continued. We’re really excited by the projects we’re supporting in year two. With sustainability and the relationship between humans and nature at their core, the projects really resonate with us at The Botanist. I wish them all the best of luck and look forward to continuing our partnership with BGCI with some exciting developments later in the year.”

Paul Smith, Secretary General of BGCI said: “The Botanist’s support for botanic gardens, worldwide, has never been more important in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises during the COVID pandemic. We are grateful to Douglas and the team for their foresight and commitment to these issues, and are delighted that our partnership goes from strength to strength.”

Recipients of the Fund Sponsored by The Botanist

Four gardens will be supported to promote conservation practices, policy and education and infrastructure development. These gardens are:

• Innisfree Farm – Canada. Native Medicinal Plant Sanctuary at Innisfree Farm – The vision of the Botanic Garden at Innisfree Farm (BGIF) is to be a centre of excellence for promoting the appreciation, understanding, uses and conservation of medicinal food and plants, and of native plants of British Columbia.
• San Francisco Botanical Garden – United States. The Conservation of Rare Magnolias Through Grafting.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden And Research Institute – India. Ex-situ conservation of five Critically Endangered plants of the Western Ghats, India.

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

Website: https://www.thebotanist.com/

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