How botanic gardens changed the world

Stephen Forbes

Director, Botanic Gardens of AdelaideDirector, Science & Conservation

Department for Environment & HeritageSouth Australia

2nd World Botanic Gardens CongressHeritage Round Table: Environmental

reconciliation: a vision for botanic gardens

How botanic gardens changed the world

Drivers for change,HISTORICAL• describing biodiversity – Linnaean ‘natural’

system• ‘planting’ colonies – plant diaspora• ‘… glorifying the works of God’ – commodification?CONTEMPORARY• conserving biodiversity

Opening Pandora’s Box• ‘natural’ taxonomic systems

– loss of specialised linguistic resources & environmental specificity

– relationship with loss of biodiversity• Harmless, Useful, Interesting & Ornamental

– ‘planting’ colonies– plant diaspora within a monocultural

framework

Pandora’s Box & Hope• relationship between environmental & cultural

reconciliation• intellectual investment in development &

environmental exploitation cf environmental reconciliation– ‘The kind of thinking that has gotten us into

this situation is not the kind of thinking that will get us out of it.’ Albert Einstein

Strategies for environmental reconciliation

Botanic garden policy & strategy to incorporate,• two-way partnerships with the main currents

of communities• multiculturalism (- beyond exhibitory

multiculturalism)• prudence with cultural heritage• acknowledgement of privilege as cultural &

scientific institution

Plants, people, culture• cultural & scientific institutions• IDEAS cf PLANTS

Oxford Botanic Gardens mission - To promote learning and glorify the works of

God

How botanic gardens changed the worldStephen Forbes

Director, Botanic Gardens of AdelaideDirector, Science & Conservation

Department for Environment & HeritageSouth Australia