Fortuitous Alignment: The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Sustainable Development Goals

A New Era of Sustainability: Plant Biostimulants

Today, environmental sustainability has become a fundamental concern in nearly every aspect of our daily lives, including the food sector [...].

Aligning to the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Assessing Contributions of UBC Botanical Garden

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outlines 17 goals for the wellbeing of people and the planet. The purpose of this study was to understand how University of British Columbia Botanical Garden (UBCBG) contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) and to identify opportunities for future action. To address this, we worked across departments to assess our programs and activities against the UN-SDG 17 goals and 169 targets. The UN-SDG indicators were only used to identify potential metrics that could be consider for future tracking. The main activities of UBCBG include ex situ plant conservation, sustainability education and community engagement. Our results found that UBCBG contributes to 12 of the 17 goals and 24 of the 169 targets. The two UN-SDGs with more targets aligned to UBCBG’s activities were Goal 15—Life on Land and Goal 12—Responsible Consumption and Production. Through its partnerships with other botanical gardens, research institutions and the regional government, the Garden amplifies its work at a global, national and regional level. We are re-imagining the role of botanical gardens in an age of equity, decolonization, the biodiversity crisis and the climate emergency. Since the UN-SDGs address both nature and people, they are an appropriate framework to guide our work.

Applying United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Mt. Cuba Center Gardens with Native Plants and Grows Conservators

Mt. Cuba Center is a botanical garden created with a conservation purpose: to work with native plants and inspire people to become conservators of native habitats. Adherence to this founding mission aligns Mt. Cuba’s activities with 4 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This article shares aspects of the center’s founding, interpretative plan and content, horticultural research, and conservation programs. We hope that it will inspire the development and implementation of more botanical garden conservation programs that catalyze members, guests, and community partners to participate in and amplify conservation efforts through collective actions. By highlighting the region and its beautiful native flora, Mt. Cuba teaches conservation of native habitats and how to incorporate native plants into home gardens. The garden’s conservation messages are brought to life through interpretive plans, horticultural research, and public engagement. The garden itself acts as a tool to promote conservation by influencing guest attitudes and experiences. The renewal of Mt. Cuba from a fallow cornfield to a thriving ecosystem illustrates that individuals can make a difference. By telling its story and demonstrating accessible conservation actions through its work with native plants, Mt. Cuba aims to transform garden guests into conservators.