1. 5 8 5 9K E W A U T U M N 2 0 1 5K E W A U T U M N 2 0 1 5 K E W. O R GK E W. O R G
W A K E H U R S T V I E W
of Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and,
for me, embodies the sense of hope
for the future that is engendered in
botanic gardens around the world.
Michael, Leo and I represent
three human generations of 80, 50
and 27 years of age. When I arrived in
Jerusalem I sat in the much-needed
shade of trees that Michael had planted,
and now the younger generation can
enjoy the protection and respite under
trees that I planted. In simple numerical
terms a human generation is short.
However, in that time we can choose to
make a real and positive difference to
the environment for ourselves and for
those generations that follow us.
In April this year I retired as the
director of Wakehurst after 32 years
of service to Kew, of which 26 years
were spent in my favourite place on the
planet. I have been lucky to combine
a love for wildlife and its conservation
with a career that has seen Wakehurst
recover from the Great Storm of 1987 to
become one of the most important tree
collections in Europe. We have planted
many thousands of specimen trees from
all over the temperate world in the last
25 years. We have also seen the truly
remarkable and world-leading
Millennium Seed Bank constructed, and
over 2 billion seeds banked from around
the globe, including many thousands of
tree species now saved for the future.
When you next visit Wakehurst,
please go to my favourite spot – Coates’
Wood. This area was flattened by the
Great Storm, but you can now sit in the
shade of trees grown from seed that
I collected in Australia, Tasmania and
Argentina – the tallest of which are now
over 18m high. I have loved being a part
of the dynamic process of gardening at
Wakehurst and to have shared some
wonderful conversations that led to my
life-long commitment to conservation.
—
Andrew Jackson MBE, recently retired
director of Wakehurst, is now a volunteer
for Wakehurst, Kew and the Foundation
A
PASSION
FOR
PLANTSIn his final column for Kew magazine, Andrew Jackson recalls
the inspiration for his long and productive career in conservation
and how that has shaped Wakehurst and its collections
—
Read more about Andrew Jackson’s career on p7,
and about Wakehurst’s conservation ethos on p40.
—
You can support Wakehurst’s conservation work
to safeguard species for the next generation
– go to kew.org/support for details.
—
The new Wakehurst Guide is available
now for just £5 in the Wakehurst
shop and at kew.org/shop.
‘How would you define a human
generation?’ my companion asked.
‘I suppose 25–30 years, from the birth of
a parent to the birth of their child,’ was
my simple reply. ‘Hmmm… I prefer one
generation plants the trees, so the
next one can sit in their shade.’
I was humbled by this conversation,
and particularly because it was shared
with a young man 23 years my junior –
photographer Leo Bieber. I was struck
by how conversation can bring new
dimensions to things that you thought
you knew well.
For me, conversation is an essential
precursor to conservation. Our sense
of value and a desire to conserve are
often built on knowledge that has been
shared in such a way that it broadens
and deepens our understanding.
I began my career at Kew in the
School of Horticulture where, during
this formative first three years, my heart
was opened to a world of plants and our
utter dependence on them for our
survival. Many of us will be able to recall
one person whose influence came at a
crucial moment in our development.
I’m lucky to have a list of such wonderful
people from Kew – staff, volunteers,
trustees and our partners around the
world. Their passion for wild plants
created in me the drive to conserve
plants in our gardens, in Kew’s
Millennium Seed Bank and in the wild.
Back when I was a student on the
Kew Diploma course, I was awarded an
eight-month scholarship to Jerusalem
Botanical Gardens, where I met a
remarkable scientist and gardener who
has influenced my entire career. This
summer, almost 30 years since we first
met, we strolled through Regent’s Park
and discussed trees and in particular
his passion for oaks. I unconsciously
became the pupil and once again he was
my mentor and teacher. Michael Avishai
is now the scientific director (emeritus)
When you plant trees for the
generations to come, you not
only enhance the environment
in the long term but also
ensure there will always be
beautiful awe-inspiring trees
for people to sit beneath
Michael Avishai (left)
from Jerusalem
Botanical Gardens and
Andrew Jackson discuss
trees on a walk through
Regent’s Park
Photos:CulturaCreative/Alamy,LeoBieber