Ness Botanic Gardens is hosting the first national University Botanic Garden (UBG) discussion day.
The inaugural meeting, organised through PlantNetwork – the Plant Collections Network of Britain and Ireland, will be attended by representatives from 11 universities with botanic gardens. Topics for discussion will include purpose and mission, governance arrangements, funding, friends and supporters, outreach, knowledge exchange and research potential.
A research study by the University, The Value of University Botanic Gardens and a Framework for Future Sustainability, will be presented to delegates at the conference.
Kevin Reid, Director of Ness Gardens, said: “We are delighted at the response to our initiative to host this conference following the completion of the Ness case study last year. All of the university botanic gardens are facing the same strategic, financial and operational challenges given the pressure on HE funding and we need to find ways to both safeguard the botanic resource and seek to become self financing in the future – we are looking for Ness to lead the way!”