Education is the key to safeguarding the future of our planet. It is at the heart of the work being done to combat the ongoing climate and biodiversity battle, and botanical gardens like the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) are responsible for engaging with audiences of all ages and education levels to encourage their curiosity in the natural world.
With global temperatures predicted to rise by more than 1.5°C by 2030, we must work to understand how we can mitigate the effects of climate change on biodiversity. Investing time and resources into horticultural and botanical education programmes plays a part in this, and sharing knowledge with local communities is one of the many ways we can inspire action. Every single person can make a difference, and it’s up to organisations like us to share with people how they can be the change.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought fresh challenges to the delivery of education programmes, as students were forced to go home, and on-site learning was disrupted. Still, at the Garden, we used this as an opportunity to innovate and deliver our horticultural education and engagement sessions using online resources. This allowed learners to continue their learning experiences safely. During the time of social isolation, many recognised the importance of green spaces like botanical gardens, not just for the research they undertake but also their importance to health and wellbeing.
Whilst education in botanical research institutes and the horticultural industry adapted during the pandemic, global lockdown restrictions interfered with the progress of vital conservation fieldwork. For example, time-sensitive programmes aimed at restoring degraded habitats and ecosystems were delayed, resulting in lost research opportunities.
And so, today we find that the industry desperately needs young people to consider green careers encompassing horticulture and plant science to regain the momentum of conservation programmes. We cannot let the pandemic "reset" derail such vital work. There are a variety of diverse career paths within the sector that contribute to fighting the climate change battle. From plant scientists and botanists to horticultural researchers for conservation, all take on essential research for the preservation and restoration of biodiversity. We must continue equipping learners of all backgrounds with the knowledge and skills needed for these ever-evolving roles.
Scotland is ahead of many other countries when tackling the biodiversity emergency, but there is still a way to go. RBGE is already home to strong teams of experts in their respective fields and is no stranger to collaborating with global partners to support international conservation work. Looking to the future, our goal is to continue strengthening the Garden’s education and engagement initiatives to offer a national and global, diverse learning experience.
Working collectively across the teams at RBGE to bring science and horticulture research programmes to local communities is just one of the exciting ways we’re providing new learning opportunities to the people of Scotland, in a bid to support horticulture and biodiversity education. Education is the seed we need to plant, tend to and nurture to secure a positive future for the planet and all who inhabit it.
Sarah Cathcart is Director of Learning and Engagement at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE)
Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk
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