Chelsea Physic Garden is pleased to announce that it has been formally accredited by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), recognising the Garden’s commitment to best practice in plant conservation, collections care and public engagement.
For Chelsea Physic Garden, accreditation marks an important moment in its continued evolution as a modern botanic garden. It reflects sustained work across the organisation to strengthen collections care, embed biosecurity and plant records best practice and also develop a clearer conservation focus.
Accreditation will support the Garden’s ability to collaborate internationally and contribute to conservation initiatives. Collections management practice has been aligned with global frameworks such as the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. The Garden has also renewed its seed collection practices, first developed in 1682 for the Index Seminum to enable Chelsea Physic Garden to be uniquely positioned as an urban botanic garden to support the conservation of medicinal and native plants as well as the Garden’s historic plant collection.
During Accreditation, excellence in public programming was recognised, and for visitors, learners and supporters, it reinforces Chelsea Physic Garden’s role as a place where plants are not only grown and studied, but used to explore wider questions of biodiversity, climate change and relationships with the natural world.
BGCI is a global membership organisation representing botanic gardens in more than 100 countries. Established in 1987, it brings together gardens worldwide to share knowledge, expertise and resources, with the shared aim of addressing the growing threat of plant extinction. Its network includes internationally important living plant collections, seed banks and research facilities, working collaboratively to secure plant diversity for the future.
Accreditation by BGCI is awarded through a detailed assessment process against internationally recognised standards. It recognises good governance, strong collections management, conservation activity, research, sustainability and public benefit. Chelsea Physic Garden’s accreditation places it among a relatively small number of botanic gardens in the UK and internationally to have met these standards.
Sue Medway, Director of the Garden, said:
“We could not be more pleased to have received BGCI accreditation. It recognises the care, rigour and purpose behind everything we do at Chelsea Physic Garden. It affirms our commitment to best practice and ethical stewardship of this historic Garden and our collections. It supports our ambition to ensure the Garden remains relevant, resilient and outward-looking.”
And Emily Hazell, Head of Plant Collections commented:
“Aligning our collections management processes with Botanic Gardens Conservation International’s Best Practice has developed the horticulture team’s skills over the past year and we are now well placed to support the Garden’s refreshed commitment to plant conservation and research on the Plant Collections. We have been busy mapping our collections and working with research partners on topics from phylogenies to upcoming PHDs on pollinators, all the while creating excellent displays for visitors.” Emily Hazell, Head of Plant Collections.