BGCI has launched an online training platform to provide online and blended learning training courses to BGCI members and other interested individuals. The platform, which is Moodle based, allows the creation of a range of interactive content with resources designed to complement BGCI’s existing face-to-face training courses, projects and publications.

Our focus is initially is to develop a Botanic Garden Basics series. These introductory modules are aimed at small and resource challenged gardens to provide practical training to complement the publication ‘From Ideas to Realisation – BGCI’s Manual on Planning, Developing and Managing Botanic Gardens’ (2016).

Most of our training courses will be free to access for BGCI members, further details below.

Modules available

There are multiple modules on the training site, including but not limited to:

Botanic Garden Basics:

1. Defining a Botanic Garden – free to members (enrolment key required)
2. Introduction to Master Planning – free to members (enrolment key required)
3. Introduction to International Environmental Policies – free to members (enrolment key required)
4. Plant Collection Policy Overview (English and Spanish) – free to members (enrolment key required)
5. Applying for a Global Botanic Garden Fund Grant – free to members (enrolment key required)
6. Managing Collections Data – free to members (enrolment key required)

Fundamentos de los Jardines Botánicos:

1. Cómo definir un Jardín Botánico
2. Política de colección de plantas
3. Gestión de Datos de las Colecciones

Protegiendo los árboles del mundo:

1. Programa de capacitación para los guardianes de los encinos

Public Engagement:

1. An Introduction to Interpretation – free to members (enrolment key required)
2. Introduction to Evaluation – free to members (enrolment key required)
3. Introduction to Science Communication – free to members (enrolment key required)

Tree Conservation:

1. Vegetative Propagation of Threatened Trees  – free to all
2. Propagation Protocols- free to all

Plant Health: 

1. The International Plant Sentinel Network (IPSN)- free to all

Ecological Restoration

1. Scaling Up Biodiverse Forest Restoration – free to all

Seed Conservation

1. Introduction to Seed Conservation – free to all

Details about each module can be found on the training platform.

How to access the platform

You will need a sheep account to log in to the BGCI online training platform. Setting up a sheep account is easy to do and completely free. Your sheep account details will also give you access to other BGCI services. Watch this video for instructions on how to access:

Still struggling? Please follow these instructions to create an account on Sheep and access our training modules:

1) Instructions to access BGCI Moodle Courses (PDF) 

2) Instrucciones Accesso Cursos de Moodle de BGCI (PDF)

Accessing modules on the training platform

Once you have logged in you will be able to access the content displayed on the homepage. Here you will see a list of our available modules. You can also search for a course, or browse our courses by course category.

Any courses that are free to access (for all) can be accessed by clicking on the course title, and selecting “enrol me” at the bottom of the course information page.

For any courses that are free to BGCI members:

• If you are a BGCI member, click the course title and enter the enrolment key to access. This enrolment key can be found in the BGCI members newsletter. Or you can contact us for the key.