The BGCI network of botanic gardens includes:

• globally significant living plant collections, covering approximately a third of known plant diversity;
• world class seed banks, glass houses and tissue culture infrastructures, and;
• technical knowledge networks covering all aspects of plant conservation policy, practice and education.

BGCI is in a prime position to support the development of new botanic gardens around the world, bringing all this knowledge together by gathering information in the form of manuals, accreditation standards, training courses, regional networks and through specific consultancy services.

Try the resources below, become a BGCI member, and if you need more help, please contact us info@bgci.org (consultancy services to set up a new botanic garden will be agreed on a one-on-one basis).

Resources available

Manuals and Training Courses

We recommend that the first step is to read the BGCI’s Manual on Planning, Developing and Managing Botanic Gardens. BGCI has generated online training courses for BGCI members that take this piece of work and deepens the understanding of each of the pillars of a botanic garden such as, master planning, the collection policy, managing your collection data, interpretation, and more. Even if your garden is not yet open you can become a BGCI member to access these resources, please email us at membership@bgci.org.

Accreditation Standards

The BGCI Accreditation Scheme, manuals and standards can be used to understand and develop each part of a new botanic garden, with world class standards in mind. The BGCI Botanic Garden Accreditation is a great place to start. As part of the scheme BGCI shares documents by accredited gardens that can serve a developing garden on their journey.

Regional Networks

BGCI coordinates botanic gardens around the world through their regional networks. Depending on where your proposed garden is, we suggest that you connect with your national network of botanic gardens or your regional network, to learn from gardens in the region.

BGCI Data Tools

BGCI compiles and maintains a set of data tools to provide the botanical community with an array of resources to better conserve plant diversity. These would allow a developing botanic garden to understand what other collections are held in which gardens and connect with gardens in the region or worldwide. They include:

• GardenSearch a list of gardens around the world
• PlantSearch includes taxon-level data from over 1,100 collections of living/viable plants, seeds, pollen, and tissues, located around the world
• ThreatSearch is a global database of all known conservation assessments of plants. It contains global, regional and national conservation assessments for plants from a variety of sources. 
• GlobalTree Portal This portal allows access to information on the world’s nearly 60,000 tree species.