Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Annual Report 2018-19

3: Creating Special Places
OUR COMMITMENT
When people connect
more deeply with plants
and special places like
public gardens, lives are
improved.
Corporate Plan 2014–2019
Smoking Ceremony on Oak Lawn
YEAR IN REVIEW
This has been an exceptional year for
unique and innovative projects and
partnerships at both Melbourne and
Cranbourne Gardens, allowing visitors
new perspectives and opportunities to
engage with nature.
With generous support from committed
donors, the completion of three new
Wellbeing Gardens in Fern Gully (The
Moss Garden, The Bird’s Nest and The
Grotto) at Melbourne Gardens was very
well received by visitors, as was the
restored Fern Gully Rest House.
At Cranbourne Gardens, the Red Sand
Garden was completely renovated
and replanted due to a collaborative
team effort between horticulturalists,
infrastructure staff, students and
volunteers. The growing conditions in
targeted areas of the Australian Garden
were analysed and improved, with
new plants established with the aim of
increasing plant diversity in the display,
along with upgrading sections of the
path network.
Teams at both Gardens continued to build
important partnerships and networks.
Several educational trips were undertaken
to other botanic organisations and in
December both Gardens successfully
hosted the inaugural Climate Change
Summit. This alliance is now emerging
into a global partnership as the Climate
Change Alliance of Botanic Gardens
(CCABG) with a focus on action-based
outcomes to develop climate ready
gardens for the future. Royal Botanic
Gardens Victoria continues to lead the
Care for the Rare project with Botanic
Gardens Australia and New Zealand
(BGANZ), which aims to establish plant
conservation collections across several
Victorian regional botanic gardens.
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