As part of Botanic Gardens Day, celebrated across Australia and New Zealand on Sunday 29 May, we chat to the staff members who help make the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens thrive.
Council’s Coordinator for Arboriculture, Botanic Gardens and Horticulture Cody Johnson is passionate about his work and his extensive knowledge of plants has recently led him to the position of Chairperson of the Queensland branch of BGANZ.
In this role he acts as a conduit of information for all the participating Queensland Gardens whose representatives meet monthly.
“There are a lot of enthusiastic and very knowledgeable participants within the group, and I have already learnt so much from them,” Cody said.
“As a group we’ve been focusing on Myrtle Rust, a disease that’s affecting some of the threatened Myrtaceae species.
“We already have some of these plants in the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens and will receive more in the future.
“The sheer volume of information for my role can be quite challenging at times, but we’ve already had some great wins.
“This includes partnering with the Department of Environment and Science (DES) and sourcing some of the threatened species for ex-situ conservation plantings within the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens.”
Cody said contributing to the care and maintenance of these plants as well as the entire gardens for residents and visitors to enjoy is the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens and Horticulture team.
“I can’t compliment them enough,” he said.
“They are a diverse team with a multidisciplined background who take great pride in their work.
“We have a huge number of visits from tourists and locals alike and it’s always great to hear how well we compare to other Botanic Gardens around the nation.”
Cody celebrates staff on Botanic Gardens Day
An initiative of Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand Inc (BGANZ), Botanic Gardens Day celebrates and sheds light on the role of plants in our lives and the important work Botanic Gardens do each day to conserve them for future generations.
Cody said for him, Botanic Gardens Day was a great opportunity to highlight his team’s achievements over the last decade.
“We’ve worked really hard on improving the amenity of the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens while also highlighting and enhancing our conservation and education values,” he said.
“To celebrate this year, we are excited to announce that our Herbarium is being made available to the public online through Council’s website.
“Over the years we’ve collected plant specimens including leaves and flowers found within the Botanic Gardens.
“With the help of staff and volunteers, these have been carefully dried, mounted and kept in storage along with photographs and information about each plant.”
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