The BGANZ Professional Development Award offers $2,000 to support the ongoing training and development of BGANZ members providing significant benefits to the individual, their institution, and the wider botanic garden community.
This prestigious award can be used to pursue a variety of professional development opportunities, including but not limited to:
Study trips to botanic gardens and related institutions
Field and collection research expeditions
Attendance at conferences, seminars, and workshops relevant to the botanic garden sector
Specialized training courses to enhance specific skills and knowledge
The award is open to all BGANZ Institutional Members—meaning that if your organisation is a member, all employees are eligible to apply. Applications are welcome from any department or role within the organisation, including operations, education, marketing, research, and horticulture.
There are no restrictions based on previous experience, qualifications, or age, making this opportunity accessible to all members.
How I learned to love the Wollemi. To read Thomas’s report click here.
Kate Roud
2021 Winner, Team Leader Main Gardens, Wellington Botanic Garden
Trans-Tasman teamwork. To read Kate’s report click here.
Toby Golson
2019 Winner, Senior Horticulturalist, Australian National Botanic Gardens
On the trail of Australia’s rarest Macadamia species. To read Toby’s report click here.
Megan Hirst
2024 Winner, Research Scientist (Seed Ecology), Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Novel approaches for building ex situ Living Collections of rare and threatened flora through collaborative training, knowledge sharing and laboratory resources at Singapore Botanic Gardens. Read Megan’s report here.
John Carabott
2024 Winner, Lead Horticulturalist, Kyneton, Gisborne and Malmsbury Botanic Gardens
The calibre of applications was so high and diverse that a second prize was awarded in 2024. John received the Professional Development Regional Gardens Award. You can read his report here.
Kate Roud, Wellington Botanic Garden
“An award is an investment in the recipient, who develops their own skills, but the interest compounds when these are passed on to colleagues and, in my case, gardens on both sides of the Tasman.”
