News from BGANZ

28 February 2025

In this fortnight's eNews:

• Highlights from the GVBG grant program event at RBGV Melbourne
• BGANZ Congress 2025: Registration now live and call for abstracts is open
• Botanic Gardens Week 19–25 May: Guardians of the Green. Protecting Our Future
• Have your contact details changed?
• BGANZ: new logos and Style Guide now available
• AAFBG's e-ucalpyt news Feb 2025
• International and Australasian Seed Science Conferences September 2025
• News from BGCI
• Member highlight: Christchurch Botanic Gardens.

In acknowledgement of the investment made by the Victorian State Government to the botanic gardens, Minister Dimopoulos planted an Acorn Banksia Banksia prionotes, a climate-suitable species from WA. It was the first of its kind to be planted in RBGV Melbourne. 

Highlights from the GVBG grant program event at RBGV Melbourne

On Wednesday 26 February, over 90 BGANZ VIC members came together for a face to face network meeting celebrating the projects that were achieved under the Growing Victoria's Botanic Gardens grant program.

Through this program, the Victorian State Government awarded a transformative $3.9 million across two funding rounds, enabling 42 unique projects at 29 botanic gardens. The funding supported diverse, innovative projects across the state that advance the gardens' contributions to the environment, community and local tourism.

It was hosted at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in Melbourne and the day started out on the Eastern lawn with a Welcome to Country by Wirundjeri Woi Wurrung elder Uncle Bill Nicholson. This was followed by an address from the Hon Steve Dimopoulos, Minister for Environment, Tourism, Sport, Major Events and Outdoor Recreation, who was really engaged and genuinely impressed by the work that was done with what is a modest amount of funding.

The morning session was wrapped up with a panel discussion with three of the grant recipients, led by BGANZ CEO Cassandra Nichols, followed by a planting of Banksia prionotes and a walk through the new Australian Dryland Garden.

From here, members walked to the nearby Domain House for the remainder of the program. We heard from 10 of the recipient gardens who showcased their grant-funded projects, and finished off the day with a discussion about professional development. 

It was a great day and we have already had a lot of positive feedback from the attendees. It was wonderful to have the Minister attend and speak so positively about the sector. 

BGANZ VIC would like to sincerely thank Cassandra Nichols and Rebecca Harcourt for their support in planning and running this event and a special thank you to Marianne Cullen, Chair of the BGANZ Board for attending the event.

Tex Moon, BGANZ Vic Convenor

BGANZ Congress 2025: Registration now live and call for abstracts is open

For details, click here or scan the QR code below.

Botanic Gardens Week 19–25 May: Guardians of the Green. Protecting Our Future

The theme this year, Guardians of the Green, aims to highlight the critical conservation, education and outreach work conducted by BGANZ member gardens.

Inspired by the success of zoos in raising awareness for wildlife conservation, the campaign based on this theme positions botanic gardens as the ‘zoos for plants’ – places where rare and threatened species are safeguarded for future generations and where society can learn and connect with nature.

Participating gardens will showcase their ‘Big 5 Plants’ – a selection of species that tell powerful stories. Additionally, just as zoos are connected globally, so are botanic gardens.

The campaign will highlight how we are a network of gardens collaborating and sharing species to fight extinction.

Through engaging visual storytelling, events and digital campaigns, utilising the simple comparison to zoos, Guardians of the Green will deepen public understanding of the essential role botanic gardens play in combating biodiversity loss and enhancing support for nature.

Together, we will inspire visitors to become active participants in plant conservation – because protecting plants means protecting our future.

This year is the tenth anniversary of Botanic Gardens Day (now Week), so we hope to have a record number of gardens participating.

We are working on the full media kit and complete key messages, which should be with you in the next few weeks.

We will also have a designated page on our new website (to be launched in ealy April) for Botanic Gardens Week, so all your events can be advertised centrally.

Have your contact details changed?

Don't forget to let us know if your details change so that we can update our Member Register and ensure you continue to receive communications from us.

Please email Rebecca, media@bganz.org.au, with your change of details.

Thank you!

BGANZ: new logos and Style Guide now available

For members wanting to use our logo on their website, click here to access the new ones and a guide on how to use them.

Note, you'll need to download the logos one by one, unless you have Dropbox, in which case you can download the whole folder.

Any problems email Rebecca, media@bganz.org.au.

AAFBG's e-ucalpyt news Feb 2025

Click here to access the latest news.

International and Australasian Seed Science Conferences September 2025

15th International Society for Seed Science Conference

15-19 September Perth WA - Synergies in Seed Science 

Abstracts close 28 Feb 2025 TODAY



• Conference themes and Abstract submission guidelines can be found here

Australasian Seed Science Conference

22-25 September 2025. Horsham Vic - Seeding Connection: Bridging knowledge, policy and practice across Agriculture and Conservation  

Note: Extended closing time, Abstracts now close 21 March 2025 

• Conference themes and Abstract submission guidelines can be found here
• The ASSC 2025 Sponsorship prospectus  is now online with a range of opportunities on offer to promote the work of your organisation and connect with delegates
• A special discounted conference fee to ASSC 2025 will be available for delegates attending both conferences!  

News from BGCI

Global Partnership for Plant Conservation 2025 Plant Conservation Conference Announcement

Event: 12-14 March, 2025. In person and virtual options.

The GPPC Secretariat is pleased to announce that the 2025 Plant Conservation Conference will be hosted at Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis, USA. The conference will run from 12-14 March. This conference will be a kick off meeting for the new phase of the GSPC and the new set of Voluntary Complimentary Actions to be implemented by 2030.

Book your space

Member highlight: Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Recent projects undertaken by B3 (Better Border Biosecurity) researchers at Christchurch Botanic Gardens underline the importance of botanic gardens in tackling biosecurity challenges, such as the risk of invasive plant pathogens like Ceratocystis species.

This work was highlighted in BGCI's recent newsletter and on their website, here.

Thanks to our Diamond Sponsors

Join BGANZ as a member

Benefits may include:

• belonging to the Australasian peak body
• the opportunity to join specialist advisory groups
• the opportunity to join regional and specialist networking groups
• discounts to the BGANZ congress
• member resources, e.g. plant record management database and living collections toolkit
• access to training and professional development
• attendance at regional conferences
• e-news and member communication
• subscription to the BOTANIC GARDENer magazine
• global alliances
• government and industry advocacy.

Click here for more information and to join.

BGANZ acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands across Australia and New Zealand on which we work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.