International Certificate in Botanic Garden Management in the Asia Pacific Region

5 - 20th March 2010

SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDENS

Botanic gardens play a vitally important role in conserving the world’s imperilled flora and provide places of solace and respite, recreation, education and research.

Working individually and collectively botanic gardens are in a strong position to help address the primary conservation and development challenges of our time: biodiversity loss and climate change.

This new two-week training course covers major present-day themes of practical conservation work at botanic gardens. It is designed to help representatives from the Asia Pacific region involved in botanic garden and arboretum management (in particular horticultural staff and mid-level managers) refresh their existing skills, understand global environmental policy, explore new ideas and engage with botanic garden experts from around the world.

The course is run by BGCI and Botanic Gardens of Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ) and Singapore Botanic Gardens. These organisations collaborate with many institutions in the Asia Pacific region and collectively provide global expertise. The course will help build local and regional capacity and expertise in both the management of living plant collections and the conservation of plant diversity at a time of rapid global change. It is designed to support the Targets of the GSPC.

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Course objectives

• To provide context for the work of botanic gardens that will help in priority setting, planning and management decision making

• To enhance practical skills in horticulture and ex situ conservation and integrated approaches linking ex and in situ conservation

• To share the latest ideas in botanic garden education, interpretation and public awareness

• To strengthen botanic garden networking in the Asia Pacific region and promote exchange of professional skills and ideas

Course content

The course will consist of lectures, discussion, individual study, teamwork, practical training and visits to sites of plant diversity interest. The course will be delivered in English. Suggested reading will be recommended in advance of the course. The main topics to be covered will be:

• Botanic garden roles – the historical and international policy context
• Developing and implementing collection policies
• Botanic garden horticulture
• Ex situ conservation tools and approaches and links to in situ conservation in times of global change
• Managing education and public awareness
• Effective interpretation
• Partnerships for multi-stakeholder engagement in conservation
• Masterplanning

Applications have now closed.

Successful applicants will be notified in January 2010.