Tag: RBGE

Armchair view of Botanic Gardens’ sparrowhawks

Birdwatchers can get close up and personal with a beautiful bird of prey – without having to leave the comfort of their armchairs

A webcam was mounted in a sparrowhawk nest within the Botanic Gardens on 29 May, and since then there’s been live online video of activity at the nest. This is the third year in succession with live video coming from a sparrowhawk nest in the Garden.

Research is showing that the Garden is a key breeding site for these magnificent birds – the regular successful breeding in the Garden is a reflection of a healthy songbird population in this part of Edinburgh as these small birds make up the key prey items of sparrowhawks.

The project is the result of a partnership involving the Garden, RSPB Scotland, Lothian and Borders Raptor Study Group and the Scottish Seabird Centre. RBGE is particularly delighted to see the return of the sparrowhawk in this the Year of Natural Scotland, a celebration of our country’s wildlife and natural assets.

To see the local sparrowhawks in action go to

www.rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/edinburgh/sparrowhawk-nestcam

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Botanics plant sale’s on Sunday

Summer’s supposedly here, and this Sunday provides your annual chance to purchase from an enviable collection of plants at truly wonderful prices. Organised by the Friends of RBGE, there’s also the Connoisseurs Collection and the Home Baking Stall.

The sale takes place from 2 – 4pm at the RBGE Nursery, Inverleith Avenue South. Admission is £3 (Members free).

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Botanics CLOSED

At least the sun's brought the blooms out!
At least the sun’s brought the blooms out!

The Botanic Gardens are currently closed due to the high winds, although The Gateway remains open and this evening’s Adult Education Open Night goes ahead as planned.

I can vouch for the power of those winds – I’ve just seen my blue recycling box flying past the window and off down the road!

Botanic Cottage project wins Heritage Lottery Funding

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A major project to rebuild the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s (RBGE) 18th century centre of research and education has been awarded £708,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Botanic Cottage is one of five significant natural heritage projects to benefit from £2.78million HLF funding, bringing HLF’s total support for Scotland’s natural environment to over £50million.

From 1764 to 1821, the Botanic Cottage was the “gateway” to the previous RBGE site on Leith Walk (site pictured above). Here, Professor John Hope, a botanist of international renown and a leading character in the Scottish Enlightenment, taught students about the emerging science of botany. The vision of RBGE is for the building, designed by John Adam, to be rebuilt and used once more as an educational facility.

The cottage had been threatened with demolition but as a result of a tireless community campaign, led by the Botanic Cottage Trust, it was painstakingly dismantled stone by stone in 2008.

RBGE’s Regius Keeper, Professor Stephen Blackmore welcomed news of the funding and commented: “The support of the HLF, with that of many generous individuals and a number of other foundations, will breathe new life into a building with a remarkable and important history. When the Botanic Cottage follows us to Inverleith, almost two centuries after we moved from Leith Walk, it will become the centrepiece of our rapidly expanding programme of voluntary and education activities helping to transform out public engagement. The award is wonderful news for the Botanics.’’

The HLF award allows RBGE to move forward with the final stage of planning and fundraising to close the final funding gap, before the official project start date in July. Construction work for the rebuild is anticipated to start in spring next year.

Since its inception, the Heritage Lottery Fund has invested £52.12million in over 310 projects which conserve Scotland’s landscape and biodiversity, from the Flows of Caithness to the valleys of the Tweed.

Commenting on the latest awards, Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “This year, the Year of Natural Scotland, brings into focus the natural beauty and biodiversity that surrounds us. It is one of our greatest national assets, attracting visitors from home and abroad and making a valuable contribution to our tourist economy.

“However it’s not just visitors that benefit. With a bit of innovative thinking, we can protect our natural heritage in a way that helps people and communities. We want people to have the opportunity to get involved, to have a say in how the environment is managed, to learn new skills and apply new technologies. We want to help ignite passion for our natural world and its long-term conservation.’’

For further information on the Botanic Cottage Appeal or to donate, visit www.rbge.org.uk/supportus/donate/appeals-projects/botaniccottage

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Get Edinburgh growing at Botanics

The joy of growing!
The joy of growing!
Next weekend sees the launch of an exciting new initiative at the Botanic Gardens:
 
Do you want to grow your own food but don’t have a plot and can’t wait for an allotment? Do you have a garden that you can’t look after or that you would like to share and meet new people? Come and find out more about Edinburgh Garden Partners and start your partnership. Free fun activities, all ages welcome and no booking required.
 
Where: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway
 
When: . Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 April from 1pm — 4pm
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Five star Botanics

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It’s been wowing visitors for centuries, but the world-renowned Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is celebrating after being awarded five-star visitor attraction status by national tourism organisation VisitScotland. 

Established in 1670 and famed for its horticultural and scientific excellence, the Garden received VisitScotland’s highest grading award under its Quality Assurance Scheme.

The award marks only the second garden in Scotland to achieve such status with RBGE-run Dawyck Botanic Garden in Peeblesshire in possession of the other.

Everything from visitor welcome, signage, decor, menu, merchandise and cleanliness are judged and graded to give the final scoring.

Presenting the award to the RBGE’s Regius Keeper, Professor Stephen Blackmore, VisitScotland Chairman Mike Cantlay said: “The timing of this award could not be more fitting given the forthcoming launch of the Year of Natural Scotland on January 1. The Year of Natural Scotland is a chance to showcase Scotland’s unique natural environment and grow tourism spend in every corner of the country.

“The five star award denotes world-class status and is testament to the hard work by all staff and the ongoing investment that has made the Royal Botanic Garden what it is today. I would like to congratulate the team on a wonderful achievement.’’

Professor Blackmore said: “On behalf of everyone at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh I am delighted to accept this award from VisitScotland. We know how important visitor attractions and tourism are to the economy of Scotland, we know that expectations are always rising and we are glad we can provide a warm welcome and high level of service to our visitors”.

VisitScotland has operated Quality Assurance grading schemes since April 1995 and these are recognised worldwide. The scheme offers tourism operators an independent quality assurance award for visitor attractions, as well as many other sectors of the tourism industry.

Find some fairies at the Botanics today!

The Botanic Gardens will be brimming with fairy tales this afternoon to celebrates the Scottish International Storytelling Festival …

Wind your way to enchanting storytelling hubs all around the Garden. If you’re lucky some of our roaming storytellers might find you first!

The main storytelling hubs will run a series of 15 minute sessions on the hour, at twenty past the hour, and at twenty to the hour between 1pm and 4pm: feel free to come and go between these sessions.

Yarns in the Oak Lawn Storytelling Village, 1pm – 4pm
The Yurt welcomes children up to 5 and their families
The Teepee welcomes children ages 6/7 + and their families

Tales in the Temperate Palm House, 1pm – 4pm
The Palm House welcomes adults and children

Stories in the Gateway Decking Outdoor Auditorium, 1pm – 4pm
The Auditorium welcomes adults and children
Please note these sessions will run weather permitting

A Box of Delights in the Gateway’s Patrick Geddes Room, 2pm – 2.45pm
Fun for all and particularly suitable for children with additional support needs

Roaming storytellers will be on hand to treat you to a story on the spot –
you may find some in the Chinese & Queen Mother’s Memorial Garden Pavilions!

Featuring the Storytelling Festival guest storytellers, SYT Family Storytime and some of the Botanics’ own Talking Trees Storytellers.

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Drylaw planters defy deluge!

Bet you thought Drylaw’s meadow planting would be cancelled yesterday? Oh ye of little faith – they’re made of tougher stuff up Drylaw way! The Neighbourhood Centre’s gardening group was joined by colleagues from Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh and together they braved the weather to start work on the paddy field and ornamental lake new meadow at the rear of the Centre!

Inside, meanwhile, altogether more sensible people from the Margarot Forrest Care Management team and clients enjoyed a nice warm cup of coffee and raised some money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Two jobs in one!

OneOak: new exhibition at Botanics this month

OneOak is an educational project devised by the Sylva Foundation, a charity working to revive Britain’s woodland culture. The fascinating exhibition follows the full life story of an oak tree, and features no less than fifty items crafted from that one oak tree.

The exhibition opens in the John Hope Gateway on Friday 12 October and runs until Sunday 2 December. Free admission.

For more information on the OneOak project visit www.sylva.org.uk