Botanic Gardens: Modern-Day Arks
by Sara Oldfield
The conservation, social and educational roles of botanic gardens is critical if the human race is to survive. Indeed, many of our worldly goods, food, clothes, and medicines are derived from plants. Sara Oldfield's book Botanic Gardens, Modern-Day Arks takes you on a behind the scenes global tour of 60 amazing botanical gardens including the UK, US, Australia, Germany, Turkey, Uganda, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil and China.
This book celebrates the dedicated unsung heroes and organisations who are finding positive solutions towards safe-guarding our threatened plant species for future generations to use and enjoy. I liked the ‘action at home’ section in particular which suggests what you as an individual can do to make positive change to conserve plants.
This book provides documented evidence of a strengthening global botanic garden network who are thankfully working together to address the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.
About the author:
Sara Oldfield has been Secretary General of the charity Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) since 2005, and has had a career in international plant conservation spanning over 30 years. She has worked for a wide range of other conservation organisations, including UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Fauna and Flora International, and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Available from NHBS and all good bookshops.
Review by Dr. Alistair Griffiths (Horticulture Science Curator, Eden Project)