What if the solution to flooding, rising temperatures and biodiversity loss was right under our noses? Visitors are invited to discover how plants can help tackle some of today’s most critical environmental challenges through the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s Nature-based Solutions tour on June 12.
The guided tour takes visitors behind the scenes of the Garden’s Nature-based Solutions programme which showcases real-life examples of how plants are being used to address environmental challenges.
Along the tour, visitors can explore stormwater planters, living lawns, bioretention ponds and Edinburgh’s flagship rain garden, while learning how these projects help reduce flooding, regulate temperatures, and create valuable habitats for wildlife
A highlight of the tour is the Garden’s Rain Garden, which was created in 2019 to tackle persistent flooding was developed through a collaboration between Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh scientists, horticulturists, and researchers from Heriot-Watt University.
The project transformed a regularly flooded lawn and pathway into a thriving planted landscape. The surrounding paths no longer flood, the Garden is sustained entirely by rainfall, and the planting continues to thrive, demonstrating how nature-based solutions can deliver practical and lasing benefits.
The tour also provides an insight into the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s wider Nature-based Solutions programme and its Plants with Purpose initiative.
Through research and real -world testing, the programme investigates how plants can help reduce flood risk, regulate temperatures and restore biodiversity in urban environments, as cities adapt to the impacts of climate change, this work is helping build the evidence needed to create greener, healthier and more resilient communities
Whether you’re passionate about climate action, conservation or sustainable gardening, the Nature-based Solutions tour offers a unique opportunity to explore how plants can help create healthier and more resilient communities.
As well as learning about the science behind these projects, visitors will discover practical ideas that can be applied in gardens, neighborhoods and urban spaces, demonstrating how nature can play a vital role in addressing the environment challenges of today and tomorrow.
Caitlyn Johnstone one of the nature-based solutions scientists explains, “The ecosystem is incredibly connected, and plants are changing the world around them: soaking up floodwater, stabilizing land, providing food and shelter to insects and birds, improving human wellbeing, even actively cooling the air!
“When we learn from nature and apply the power of those plants to specific problems, we improve our world in so many ways.”