People
Dr Paul Smith
Dr Paul Smith is the Secretary General of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). There are an estimated 2500 botanic gardens and arboreta in the world attracting 500 million visitors each year. Collectively, botanic gardens conserve at least one third of the world’s plant species in their living collections, and over 40% of threatened plant species. BGCI is the pivotal centre of this network; its members include the largest, most renowned gardens on the planet – Kew, New York, Missouri, Singapore, Sydney and Shanghai – but they also include many smaller gardens situated in the world’s plant diversity hotspots. All of these member gardens share a commitment to making sure that no plant species becomes extinct and a combined workforce of many thousands of horticulturalists and scientists working towards that end. BGCI coordinates and monitors the progress of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, the first target-oriented work programme of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
With a career spanning 30 years working in conservation and botanic gardens, Paul joined BGCI as Secretary General in March 2015. Paul trained as a plant ecologist, and is a specialist in the plants and vegetation of southern Africa. He is the author of two field guides to the flora of south-central Africa and the Vegetation Atlas of Madagascar. He is on the Council of the Linnean Society and is a Trustee of the National Botanic Garden of Wales. Paul is the recipient of the New England Wildflower Society’s Medal for Services to International Plant Conservation and the David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration.