Securing the Long-Term Future of St Andrews Botanic Garden

The signing of a 40-year lease with the University of St Andrews has secured the long-term future of the Garden. This new agreement represents a shared commitment to the management of the Garden, creating a strong foundation for our work and representing shared enthusiasm for new investment in the Garden.

The nature of this partnership provides the security needed to develop our research, education and community programmes, thinking for the long-term about how local communities of both plants and people will change over the next 40 years. Our team have been working on exciting new engagement projects, opportunities for skills development and collaborations with local partners, and are looking forward to the opportunity to continue to grow.

“Sustainability is at the heart of the University Strategy 2022-2027 and, like our commitment to Social Responsibility, runs through everything we do. The work being done at the Botanic Garden is significant in terms of responding to the challenges of climate change, supporting biodiversity and nurturing and promoting our local community and environment,” said University of St Andrews Principal, Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, going on to say, “Maintaining a close relationship with the Botanic Garden is so important to the University. Further collaboration will create opportunities for learning and research as well as conservation. Many of our students are also active volunteers, helping to support the work of the garden and projects which are driving responsible change.”

The new lease also demonstrates support from the University for the Botanic Garden’s new research and conservation projects, which have an increasing focus on temperate plants from Fife and similar ecosystems around the world. These new projects, including our flagship Tangled Bank project, will allow us to investigate the impacts of climate change on some the most threated ecosystems and habitats in temperate zones, helping to inform scientists and land managers about how best to preserve the biodiversity found in these habitats.

“Botanic Gardens have embraced a renewed role in emerging societal response to the challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change, and the St Andrews Botanic Garden is no exception,” said Professor Thomas Meagher, Chair of the Trustees at St Andrews Botanic Garden. "We have emerged from the global pandemic stronger than ever, having taken the big step to zero C as well as having established a leadership role in emphasizing support of nature and reinforcement of socially inclusive public awareness of biodiversity.”

St Andrews Botanic Garden is run by an independent charitable trust, with a focus on conservation, research, education and community.

Images: University of St Andrews