Communities in Nature: Growing the Social Role of Botanic Gardens

BGCI supports and encourages the commitment of botanic gardens to work with their local communities on common issues of social and environmental importance, for the enduring benefit of those communities, the gardens themselves, and towards a sustainable future for our planet.

Find out why this work is important by reading our groundbreaking report (see below) and discover the range of projects we’ve supported. If your garden is interested in collaborating with BGCI to develop its social and environmental role, please let us know by completing this form. For some animated inspiration take a look at our video produced by Cognitive Media. To get started on growing your garden's social role click on the Manual below.

‘Towards a New Social Purpose Redefining the Role of Botanic Gardens’ reports on a year-long research study into the social relevance of UK botanic gardens, drawing on international good practice. Read the full report and the executive summary

Following the research, BGCI ran two pilot projects: 1) Winterbourne House and Garden, University of Birmingham who set up ‘Urban Veg’, a community based vegetable garden and 2) Ness Botanic Garden who ran series of science focused workshops for students from a deprived area of Liverpool. Find about the projects and read the evaluation.

During 2012, BGCI supported four UK botanic gardens to develop their social roles through a programme of workshops and funded small-scale projects. Read about the projects, download the gardens' reports and view a short film about each project.


Bristol Zoo Gardens Bristol Community Plant Collection Watch the film (10 mins)	Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Edible Gardening Watch the film (6 mins)


University of Leicester Botanic Garden Feel Green Watch the film (5 mins)	Westonbirt, The National Arboretum Hidden Voices Watch the film (10 mins)

Join in the conversation and visit the Communities in Nature Blog

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