PlantSearch Tools with Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)
An opportunity for Plant Heritage Collection Holders and members to join Patricia Malcolm to explore the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) PlantSearch, a globally unique tool for accessing and sharing information about living collections maintained by botanic gardens and similar organisations.
PlantSearch, which functions in combination with BGCI’s GardenSearch, can be used to locate plants in botanic garden collections around the world and connect to staff who maintain those collections.
BGCI’s PlantSearch Communication Facility facilitates communication between garden staff at different institutions and it is also accessible to researchers and conservation practitioners outside the botanic garden community, to request information or material for a particular taxon.
Patricia will show how to navigate the PlantSearch tools to search for taxa and request information or material. An opportunity for a Q&A session will follow.
| Event Start Date | Wednesday, 28 January 2026 1.00pm |
|---|---|
| Event End Date | Wednesday, 28 January 2026 2.00pm |
| Cost | Free |
| Event Location |
Online via Zoom |
| Event Contact | Plant Heritage Conservation Team |
| Contact | collections@plantheritage.org.uk |
Patricia Malcolm is the Head of Membership and Conservation Services at Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). A botanist with over 20 years of experience in botanic gardens and conservation organisations, Patricia has dedicated her career to advancing plant conservation through collaboration, data, and capacity building.
Originally from Argentina, Patricia began her career in Buenos Aires before completing her degree at the University of London, UK. She worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where she managed and delivered projects in the digitisation of Floras and herbarium specimens, the production of field guides to support seed bank targeting, and the use of herbarium collections for IUCN Red List assessments. She later worked for The Wildlife Trusts, developing and embedding monitoring programmes in nature reserves.
In her current role at BGCI, Patricia supports botanic gardens worldwide in achieving their shared mission to save plant diversity. She leads initiatives that include the BGCI Accreditation Scheme, providing mentorship and recognition for excellence; the Global Botanic Garden Fund, offering financial support for conservation projects; and the development of data-driven conservation tools that leverage living collection data for global impact.
Patricia is passionate about building networks and creating opportunities for botanic garden professionals to share knowledge, resources, and innovations—strengthening the collective capacity of the global botanic garden community to protect the world’s plants.