BGANZ Botanic Gardens Record Management System
Project Update/Introduction

For several years BGANZ Council has recognised the need for a low cost accessible and user-friendly plant records database that could be made available for BGANZ members in support of their record keeping and documentation. 

Many BGANZ members may recall answering one or two plant record keeping surveys questioning the effectiveness of record keeping within their gardens. The responses from these surveys demonstrated a clear need for capacity building within this area.

  • 84% of the botanic gardens are collecting plant records in variety of formats (mostly excel and hard copy. 

  • Only 10% of gardens reported being satisfied with their current record keeping system

  • 97% of gardens agreeing that an appropriate (user friendly) plant records management system tool would help achieve better plant records.

BGANZ Council, through the Botanic Gardens Collections and Records Management Group (BCARM) have identified the database project as a high priority. 

In 2019 Council endorsed that a BCARM working group explore a commercial arrangement with suppliers of plant records systems, to provide a multiuser (or centralised database) that could be made available for member gardens in support of their record keeping activities.

An EOI went out to the market back in November 19 and the evaluation panel are working through short listing the applicants and asking for more information where necessary.

The next phase of the project will be to get a clear understanding of costings associated with each of the short-listed systems and the working group will work closely with council to explore models of how this can be rolled out to the BGANZ membership.

We hope to have more information to update in or around May, so watch this space. 
For further information contact Tex Moon  Terence.moon@parks.vic.gov.au
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Call for Articles
Deadline for all Articles is April 20th

The theme of the next BOTANIC GARDENer is: Botanic Gardens in a Time of Climate Change .

We’d love to hear from you about the theme and all our normal features.

Please consider submitting:

  • Feature Articles – with Climate Change featuring in discussions across Australia and New Zealand lets focus on: what you or our garden has noticed, what changes have occurred, how you are changing or preparing for Climate Change impacts at your Garden.

  • Horticultural Articles – We’d love to hear from your latest or interesting hort project.

  • Feature Garden - We’d love to Feature your Garden in the June edition so please get in touch if you’d like to be considered. Can be your whole garden, or a small part – tell us what you are doing.

  • Pollinating Great Ideas – if you have a great idea you’d like to share with members, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Book Review – Like to review a plant related book for the magazine – we’d love to hear from you.

  • Reports on your Garden Anniversary
  • Member News
  • BGANZ News and information
  • BGANZ Professional Group Reports

Please forward to managingeditor@bganz.org.au and secretariat@bganz.org.au by Monday, April 20th.

For submitted articles & images guidelines download BGANZ Magazine guidelines document
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5th Botanic Gardens Day — Sunday, 31 May 2020.

We have over 100 botanic gardens, arboretum and private gardens taking part again this year, and we'd love to hear your plans once you have them confirmed for this year.

BGANZ will be providing a number of free resources and aiming to promote the work of Conservation, in its broadest form, in your Botanic Garden.

The focus will be on the rare or endangered plant or plants you may have growing in your garden. Details to follow.

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Australasian Seed Science Conference 2020
Early bird registration extended to 8 March 2020
 

International and national experts will be speaking on dormancy and germination; seed storage, conservation and utilisation; establishment and management of seed conservation facilities; seed ecology and cultural knowledge and use of native seeds.

Conference Themes:

Seed biology and evolutionary ecology – Unlocking the challenges of germination, dormancy and seed ecology in a changing world.
Seed sourcing and end-use – Considering genetic diversity, restoration and translocations as well as sector specific approaches to seed conservation and use.
Seed and gene bank management – The ins and outs of managing ex situ seed banks and gene banks and the methods for maximising seed quality and longevity.
Seeds in culture and society – Sharing stories and learning about cultural seed use, including collaborations between traditional use and ex situ seed banks and gene banks.
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Australian Landscape Conference 2020
Melbourne, 27 – 30 March 2020

An international conference with the world’s finest landscape and garden designers.

Since it began in 2002 the biennial Australian Landscape Conference has operated at the cutting edge of international landscape and garden design. Perhaps the most important word is ‘international’, because very few conferences worldwide have consistently presented such a genuinely global digest of contemporary work and thought. The conference consistently strives to seek out the most interesting work in every continent and culture, taking the audience out of what may be described as the ‘comfort zone’ of gardens made in the Anglo-sphere.

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Parks and Leisure Australia Upcoming Events

March 4 - Awards of Excellence Information Session - Gisborne 
March 7 - 15 - Parks Week
March 19 - Greg Maddock Grant Event - 'Transforming everyday places into thriving third places' - Brunswick
March 27 - Melbourne Park Managers Forum - Coburg North
March 27 - Awards of Excellence Nominations Close
May 20-22 - Vic/Tas Region Conference - Torquay
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Australian Garden History Society 40 th Anniversary Celebrations 2020

The Australian Garden History Society turns 40 in 2020 and to celebrate, an exciting range of events and projects are planned around the theme ‘People, Plants and Places’ .

An Australia wide Virtual Garden Party on Sunday 22 March 2020 will be one of the highlights of the year where eight regional Branches will host a Garden Party locally and connect nationally with their images of celebrations. The purpose will be to widely celebrate our collective achievements of the past while toasting opportunities for the future.  Read more
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Botanic Gardens Biosecurity Network launches website

The B otanic Gardens Biosecurity Network website extensionaus.com.au/botanicgardensbiosecurity . aims to act as a focal point for providing practical information and advice to staff of botanic gardens, community interest groups and members of the public to develop awareness, knowledge and skills to contribute to general biosecurity surveillance activities.

You can help by sharing the website with your Friends, guides, and staff networks through communication channels such as in e-newsletters, newsletters or other communication tools that your gardens may have.

Feedback and suggestions for article content are welcomed. If you would like to contribute a short article please email: botanicgardens@phau.com.au
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The International Protea Register

The IPR is maintained and published by Directorate Plant Production Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Pretoria, South Africa. 

Application forms for registration can be obtained from :
The ICRA for Proteaceae, Private Bag X250, PRETORIA 0001, South Africa.

Contact persons:
Mr Joseph Boshomane: JosephB@daff.gov.za (Tel. +27 12 319 6225)
Ms Johanna Mokobodi: JohannaMab@daff.gov.za (Tel. +27 12 319 6345)

Get your copy HERE .
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Macadamia Conservation Trust needs your help

Macadamia Conservation Trust are ask about Macadamia trees that you may have growing in your Gardens, as it is possible that they may be living examples of genotypes that no longer exist in the wild.

You can help by providing the following:

– P lease advise if you have any macadamias growing in your Gardens.

– If you have some trees, please could you: enter details of the tree/s onto the Wild Macadamia Hunt portal , or fill out a ‘ Paper form ’ for each tree and return via email. or call to provide details over the phone.

– Macadamia Conservation Trust would like to see any records that you may have of where the trees came from and when they were planted, and any relevant correspondence, as they are trying to piece together the history of their distribution.

Please direct queries or information to:

DENISE BOND | EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Macadamia Conservation Trust
M 0488 432 226 | T 1800 262 426 | +61 2 6622 4933  
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Playspace development: design, management, maintenance

Play Australia will once again run the Melbourne 2 day training program with dates throughout 2020.

Play Australia runs this 2 Day training program to enable all participants to access and understand both best practice and current Playground Standards applicable to the management, development, design and maintenance of playspaces throughout Australia today.

Four sessions are scheduled in March, June, August and October and are now available for booking. Please see the Training and Events page for more information and to book.  https://www.playaustralia.org.au/training-program-overview
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2020 AAFBG Biennial Conference
Brisbane, 22 – 24 May

Australian Association of Friends of Botanic Gardens is celebrating 250 years.

You are invited to join in celebrating the botanical wonders of 1770s exploration and the influence on the botanical knowledge and the use of Australian and South Pacific tropical and sub- tropical flora. Bank’s and Solander’s legacy of botanical research and what we could claim as the first ‘Botanic Gardens Friend’.  

For Conference Programme and more information visit https://fbbgsa.org.au/files/2020-programme/

Feel free to download and share the poster for the forthcoming AAFBG Conference.
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THE BOTANIC GARDENer - Summer Edition
Plants from the past: plants for the future – BGANZ Congress 2019

All the latest news and articles from our botanic gardens in Australia and New Zealand —

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BGANZ Partner with Seasol

Member Gardens in Australia and New Zealand can take advantage of significant reductions on commercial grade Seasol produtcs.

To receive the BGANZ Member Seasol Discount - Please email Eamonn: secretariat@bganz.org.au and Type: " Name of garden, request Seasol price list " in Email Subject Heading.

Seasol are a great local company who have a strong commitment to improving the quality of gardens, horticulture and botanic gardens across Australia and New Zealand.
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The Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand Inc (BGANZ)  i s the chief body representing the interests of botanic gardens in Australia and New Zealand.