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Appointments to the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Appointments commencing on 1 May 2021 and 16 September 2021

Scottish Ministers are looking to appoint up to three Members to the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) in each of the following three areas:

• Continue to develop as a successful visitor attraction.
• Guide our excellent biodiversity science in the areas of research, policy and funding.
• Develop our wide ranging national and international education programme.

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

The RBGE’s mission is “to explore, conserve and explain the world of plants for a better future”. We contribute significantly to the Scottish Government’s National outcomes, not only though protecting and enhancing our environment, but also in the fields of economic development, education and skills development, social inclusion and international cooperation. As we begin our next 350 years our science and research remain resolutely focused on the global biodiversity crisis and the climate emergency.

The challenges of the last year, due in large part to humankind’s rapacious and unrelenting inroads into the natural world, have highlighted our awareness of interdependencies: the interdependence of human and environmental health, and the interdependence of social justice and sustainable development.

Our work is guided by three themes:

• Unlocking knowledge and understanding of plants and fungi for the benefit of society.
• Conserving and developing botanical collections as a global resource.
• Enriching and empowering individuals and communities through learning and engagement with plants and fungi.

The Garden is an outstanding scientific institution. At the international level we are a global scientific resource, providing expertise, training, and information, working with partners around the world to conserve ecosystems and protect natural capital. We work with and in many countries but have a particular focus in South America, South East Asia, Nepal and the Sino-Himalaya, and the Middle East. Our projects help to reduce plant extinctions and target scarce resources and include research that underpins the conservation of the rapidly disappearing dry forests of Latin America, leading the International Conifer Conservation programme, and identifying disease resistant genes and traits in wild crop relatives.

In Nepal we are leading the production of the first comprehensive guide to its flora and assisting with training, community engagement and conservation programmes. At the national level, we are Scotland’s botanical institute playing a significant role in delivering the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, addressing the major challenge of plant health and giving Government access to scientific excellence. Current conservation projects in Scotland include: re-establishing priority species in the Highlands, and undertaking habitat restoration in Atlantic rainforests and on the Edinburgh shoreline.

We are the custodians of internationally important collections and maximise their value as conservation, research, education and heritage resources. Our major collections are:

• Living Collection: one of the world’s richest collections of wild plant species with over 34,000 accessions representing 13,50 species from 157 countries across our four gardens. Included in our collection are species which are extinct in the wild, and those that are new to science. 28 Glasshouses in the Edinburgh garden recreate wet rainforests, arid lands, montane tropics and temperate habitats. Meanwhile Benmore garden has six hectares devoted to the plants of Chile, including a newly planted “forest” of 200 monkey puzzle trees. Logan is famed for an amazing collection of southern hemisphere plants and Dawyck is one of the world’s finest arboreta.

• Herbarium: some 3,000,000 specimens of plants from every country on earth; representing almost two thirds of the world’s known plant species. These specimens provide a global working reference collection for the study of plant distribution, species identification and ecology and evolution.

• Library: the finest botanical library in Scotland and one of the leading botanical libraries in the world, containing some 70,000 books, 150,000 periodicals and a rich archive and botanical art collection.

Our specialist training and public engagement links plants to individuals and communities in Scotland and around the world. Our education offer ranges from schools programmes, to a HND/BSc programme, and a MSc course in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants. Our expanding online courses now reach students in over 50 countries.

In a normal year our gardens attract 1,000,000 visits per year and our extensive programme of events, courses and exhibitions are a major attraction, complementing our living and preserved collections and helping to delight and inform our visitors.

Our gardens offer a fantastic place to support communities. The Botanic Cottage and Community Garden welcome participants from across the community including: disadvantaged adults and families; people with autism, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and mental health issues; adults and teenagers with learning disabilities; ethnic minorities and refugees.

Edinburgh Biomes

The first phase of the Edinburgh Biomes Programme is due to start in 2021 and will protect RBGE’s unique and globally important plant collection to ensure that Scotland and the world increasingly benefits from the application of knowledge and learning generated from the National Botanical Collections. It will bring together RBGE’s research, horticulture and infrastructure facilities and significantly refurbish and rebuild the glasshouses and associated infrastructure. It will reduce our carbon footprint and provide much needed plant health research and biosecurity facilities. The project will greatly increase the quality and depth of the visitor experience and catalyse and engage communities across Scotland, deepening their understanding of the importance of natural heritage, and inspiring action in addressing climate change, and the biodiversity crisis.

The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is, under the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985, statutorily responsible for the custody of RBGE’s National Collections and for the overall performance of RBGE’s performance.

Role of the Trustees

There is a statutory maximum of nine Trustees. Members have collective responsibility for overseeing the RBGE and pursuing its statutory remit. The Board is responsible for agreeing the organisation’s strategy, ensuring that the highest standards of governance are complied with; and to hold the Regius Keeper (and senior staff) to account for the management of the organisation and the delivery of agreed plans on time and within budget. It should take due account of advice given by the Regius Keeper who is not a member of the Board.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

There are three distinct roles on the Board of Trustees and applicants should demonstrate evidence of at least one of the following:

• leading and developing a successful visitor attraction;
• biodiversity science – research, policy and funding;
• education policy development and strategic delivery.

Applicants also need to demonstrate evidence of a number of other skills:

• analysis and decision making;
• constructive and supportive challenge;
• commitment and empathy for mission and objectives of RBGE;
• communication and influencing.

Time Commitment and Remuneration

Trustees of the Board devote up to around eight to ten days per year. Trustee roles are unremunerated, however, reasonable expenses incurred will be reimbursed. The appointments are non-pensionable.

Length of Term

The appointments are for four years and take effect from 1 May 2021 and 16 September 2021. Reappointment is not automatic and is subject to performance and the individual continuing to satisfy the requirements of the role.

If you have experience of successfully advocating policy change to decision makers, this is an amazing opportunity to work on a critical new project and lead on WWF Scotland’s marine fisheries management policy and advocacy.

WWF Scotland has a well-deserved reputation for effectiveness and innovation and has impact across the UK and internationally. We have a strong advocacy focus and an impressive track record in influencing policy change and public debate on environmental protection. This is an exciting time to be joining the team as Policy & Public Affairs Officer. The waters around Scotland are some of the most productive in Europe and 2021 marks the first time in over 40 years that the UK will manage its fisheries resources as an independent coastal state. We want you to use your skills to influence the debate on how marine resources are managed by leading our policy and advocacy work.

In this new role you will operate as part of a multi-organisation (WWF, MCS, RSPB) oceans recovery project to influence the forthcoming Joint Fisheries Statement and the Scottish Future of Fisheries Management Strategy. You will help coordinate and deliver policy activities, such as reports and briefings as well as engage key industry and political stakeholders in the Scottish Government and Parliament. This will involve designing project plans, ensuring delivery of key outputs and contributing to project reporting. You will work with project partners and other stakeholders to co-ordinate relevant activities in Scotland and engage more voices in support too

You must be experienced in successfully advocating policy change to decision makers and possess a qualification in or extensive knowledge of marine fisheries management. You will have a strong understanding of the Scottish Parliament and the general political landscape in Scotland too. This will also extend to relevant marine stakeholders.

Good at managing multiple stakeholder relationships, you will possess excellent communication and influencing skills. A team player you will be able to translate complex issues in accessible ways to non-expert audiences. Important will be the ability to demonstrate a passion for our mission.

If you have the skills to secure better decisions for our environment, we would love to hear from you. Please visit our website via the link, complete the online registration and submit a copy of your up to date CV with cover letter highlighting why you are why you believe you are suited for the role.

Every role at WWF is open to applications from all sections of society. We believe in the potential of everyone regardless of; sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic origin, different physical ability, family structure, socio-economics, age, nationality or citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other aspect that makes you, well you. Here at WWF we’re committed to conscious inclusion that helps cultivate an ethos of belonging, connection and shared purpose. We believe that the more diverse we are the better we become; this brings us together and empowers us to develop, engage and inspire; and critically to help build a future where people can live in harmony with nature.

Our policies and benefits reflect the importance of people being able to have a good work-life balance and being able to bring their ‘full self’ to work.

Our world needs you like never before. We are the first generation to know we are destroying the world and we could be the last that can do anything about it. We’re looking for people who are passionate about making it politically, socially and economically unacceptable to destroy our planet’s natural resources. We need you to join us in the fight for our world.

Do you like to work collaboratively with public and third sector organisations to achieve behaviour change? Do you have experience of supporting projects from initiation through to implementation and evaluation? We are looking for someone to work as part of our team working with a variety of organisations, developing, and promoting projects within our Smarter Choices Smarter Places (SCSP) programme.

Founded in 1997, Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT) is an independent charity that negotiates access to land, builds paths, helps care for Scotland’s most spectacular woodlands and trees, and works on conservation projects all to improve and promote access to the countryside. The Countryside Trust has refreshed its forward strategy, and now wishes to develop a new emphasis on maintaining and enhancing biodiversity and species conservation, while helping people to enjoy the excitement and wonder of Perthshire’s countryside, enabling them to learn about it and cherish it for future generations.

As part of this review a multi stakeholder, landscape scale Partnership Project is under development. This is a new, long-term, nature-based vision for Perth and Kinross. It is a landscape-scale ecological restoration concept that could transform the environment of the area, the livelihoods of the people who live and work here, and the richness of the experiences of those who visit.

To deliver this challenging work we are seeking to appoint a Conservation Officer with the following responsibilities:

1. Working with stakeholders, continue to progress the Trust’s wider strategy for conservation and education.
2. Leading the Trust’s work on the Partnership Project, including establishing and maintaining links with project partners; gaining ‘buy-in’ of landowners, managers and tenants, rural communities and businesses; further developing the project proposal, including consolidating methodology, partners, sites, funding and initial implementation; driving the project forward through the Steering Group; and developing the project to secure future funding.
3. In partnership with stakeholders, identify new project opportunities that will help to deliver the vision set out in this Strategy.
4. Apply for funding to develop new conservation and education projects
5. Offer site management support and guidance in conservation and biodiversity, habitat improvement and woodland creation.
6. Develop a ‘hub’ to collate and promote relevant initiatives and “best practice”. This could include a “Community” website and interactive map.
7. Support the continued work of the Trust on current conservation programmes as directed

Up to 2 days of the officer’s time per week will be spent on work with continuing multi-stakeholder conservation projects where the principal partners alongside the Trust are the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh , Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry. These projects involve the ex situ conservation of globally threatened conifer species in Perthshire and supporting managers of nationally important tree collections.

Funding for the Conservation Officer Post

We are seeking funding from our stakeholder partners who share the strategic objectives of this exciting project. We aim to secure funding for the post for three years.

Location

The Trust office is in Perth but all staff currently working from home. The nature of the post requires travel across Perth and Kinross and occasionally to other parts of Scotland.