UBC Botanical Garden has signed an agreement to join the Climate Change Alliance of Botanic Gardens (CCABG), becoming the first Canadian garden to do so. Dr. Tara Moreau, UBC Botanical Garden’s Associate Director of Sustainability and Community Programs, signed the agreement on July 2, 2020.
The Alliance, initiated in December 2018 by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Australia, serves as the voice of committed botanical gardens from around the globe. The world’s botanic gardens are custodians of critical scientific and horticultural knowledge and research, and botanic plants and landscapes provide an invaluable source of innovation and learning. The Alliance’s goal is to create a collaborative network to address the impact of climate change on communities worldwide.
The significance of this agreement aligns with the recent announcement that UBC President Santa Ono will be leading the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3), a network of 22 research universities that have joined forces to pursue urgent climate research and sustainability action plans. In June, UBC also pledged its commitment to Investing to Address Climate Change: A Charter for Canadian Universities, signed along with 16 other Canadian universities.
“UBC Botanical Garden is thrilled to be the first Canadian member of the Climate Change Alliance,” said Dr. Moreau. “Joining the Alliance shows the Garden’s dedication to UBC’s Climate Action Plan. We plan to lead the way in developing garden management plans, community engagement programs and practical approaches to supporting our natural landscapes to adapt to climate change.”
In addition to signing the agreement, Dr. Moreau will be discussing the crucial need for climate change and adaptation solutions at the Adapting Living Landscapes: Crafting an Agile and Dynamic Response to a Changing Climate session, held virtually at the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) conference on July 9, 2020. The APGA, a founding member of the Climate Change Alliance, recently recognized Dr. Moreau with the 2020 American Public Gardens Association (APGA) Professional Citation award.
UBC Botanical Garden works towards the vision that plants are understood, valued, celebrated, and secure in a healthy, biodiverse world. UBC is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) People.
The Garden recently reopened to the public, with new health and safety measure in place. More details can be found here.