Towards a New Social Purpose: Redefining the Role of botanic gardens

At a time when humankind is struggling with both the current realities and future implications of global climate change and biodiversity loss, some organisations in the vanguard of species protection are, although steeped in scientific understanding of these issues, still too introspective to engage effectively with their local communities. Botanic gardens may be numbered among such organisations. This paradox is the working assumption behind a programme of research projects, commissioned by BGCI and supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, to examine the social role and relevance of contemporary botanic gardens. The study reported here*, from the University of Leicester’s Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG), is a cornerstone of that programme. Largely UK-based, it also draws on experience from the United States and Australia – and its conclusion that gardens possess vast untapped potential as agents of social and environmental action is, in BGCI’s view, of international relevance.