Melton Botanic Garden | Growing Plants Growing People
Melton Botanic Garden is a young garden managed by Friends of Melton Botanic Garden (FMBG). In just a few years, the garden went from kickstarting its plant records program to mapping and showcasing its collections online and achieving accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).
The March Coffee Chat features FMBG's President, John Bentley, and Collection Records Officer, Jennifer Peters. Listen to their presentation to learn how this vibrant, volunteer-run garden effectively manages environmental challenges while maintaining a robust botanical record-keeping program. The Friends of Melton Botanic Garden is a committed and organized group of volunteers that has much to be proud of!
Q & A
Q: What relationships do you have with local indigenous groups?
A: The local groups include the Wurundjeri, Wadawarrung, and Bunurong or "People of the Red Earth," as we have red volcanic soil in Melton. We have a ceremonial circle that has been used. We have had input when we put in the Bush Foods Garden. We are open to involvement and partnerships.
Q: Were you required to conduct a study before building the garden?
A: No, the land had already been disturbed by the freeway. When the Nature Place space was built an aboriginal heritage study was conducted. There is a study currently being done on the scar tree.
Q: How successful is your nursery for fundraising?
A: We have been successful in being awarded grants, however 70% of our budget comes from nursery sales. The depot is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and 2nd and 4th Sundays. The Friends Group puts in $5,000 each year. There great deal of in-kind donations as well.
Q: Do you have a strategy for retaining volunteer knowledge?
A: It is an issue. We are documenting a lot more now that we have IrisBG. We are trying work with Council to have a curator and gardener to help with this.
Q: How did you decide how to how to correct inconsistencies from one project manager to the other when starting?
A: It would be ideal to have a process set up for consistency from the beginning but Jennifer would correct the inconsistencies as she entered data.
🌱Data import templates are a great way to validate the data when importing data in bulk.
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