Kew Gardens Under Pressure

For those of us with a passion for, and considering a career in conservation the news that Globally important conservation and science is under threat at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew due to government cuts is a bombshell. For those that don't know anything about Kew, you to should be interested to, as its taking away one of the strong platforms that the UK has in science!

 The Royal Botanical Gardens also know as Kew Gardens is a large area of gardens and botanical glasshouses and the largest collection of living plants in the world (over 30,000 species) and the largest herbarium in the world holding 7 million preserved species. The gardens are internationally important in botanica research and have a large role in the education institute with around 700 staff and attract nearly 2million people to the site every year.

 The government are due to cut funding for Kew Gardens again by 2016. The Gardens, which are 40% funded by the government have been told that by 2016 they will have had £1.5 million cut, which is a huge amount of money. Because Kew are already £5 million in deficit this means that they will have to cut 120 jobs and most of these jobs are in science and research, a crucial area. Cutting this many jobs means that you are removing a 1/7 of the working body at Kew a HUGE proportion.

If you still don't feel like it's that important, this is what David Attenborough has said about the gardens...
"Kew has an absolutely crucial role in looking after our botanical heritage and our botanical future. The important thing to remember is that it is the premiere botanical gardens in the world scientifically. People who think it is just a place to go to look at pretty flowers and flower beds are mistaking the importance of Kew Gardens. The Seed Bank is of world importance and it should be supported by the Government like a proper institution or university and the continuing idea that Kew Gardens is merely a playground and that you just put up the prices to look after it is a misguided assessment of the value of Kew. The Government and the scientific departments should recognise that and support it properly." 

There is currently a petition on Change.org which is trying to stop the government from following through with the proposal. To sign please visit http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/globally-important-conservation-and-science-under-threat-at-royal-botanic-gardens-kew-due-to-uk-government-cuts-5m-deficit-will-lead-to-loss-of-over-120-posts?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_mobile&recruiter=47412431