“It’s time those of us who care for gardens take a stand against climate change,” said AGHS’s Patron, Professor Tim Entwisle, ahead of the launch of the AGHS climate change position statement at the Society’s 42nd conference in Hobart on 13 November.
“There is more we can do to reduce our own carbon footprint, and much more needed to adapt gardens to an already changed climate.”
The statement calls for all gardens and amenity landscapes to be managed sustainably, and for planting choices to be based on the garden’s intent, alongside the very best available scientific evidence.
The statement commits AGHS to the following actions:
- Foster a low-carbon’(ideally a net carbon neutral to positive) approach to all our activities
- Assist garden owners and custodians of cultural landscapes to understand and conserve heritage values in the context of responding to changing climatic conditions
- Support research on climate change adaptation, mitigation and management in the field of gardens and landscapes, particularly in regard to understanding and driving action in historic gardens and landscapes and their evolving interpretation
- Promote up-to-date alternatives to unsustainable practices
- Collaborate with other organisations to increase awareness of the importance of gardens and landscapes in responding to climate change and to the conservation and adaptation of heritage gardens and landscapes.
“This statement is more than well-meaning words”, Professor Entwisle said. “It is a living document that creates a framework for action by garden owners and custodians. It forms the basis for a continuing conversation about how to garden sustainably, while also preserving our important garden heritage.”
Read the statement at: https://www.gardenhistorysociety.org.au/2022/11/climate-change-position-statement-2/