Explore the magic of Madagascar with Kew Gardens’ 2024 Orchid festival

Kew’s Madagascar Conservation Centre

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has been working in Madagascar since 1986, and today has 40 researchers based at our third research site, the Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre, where they are working with Malagasy partners and communities to protect the island’s unique floral biodiversity. Home to an array of landscapes, from vast grasslands to tropical forests and deserts, the ecosystems found on Madagascar support a wide range of endemic plants and wildlife - species which are found nowhere else on earth. 

Today, the megadiverse flora and fauna of Madagascar is critically threatened and under increasing pressure. As part of Kew’s ongoing work in Madagascar, our team of Malagasy scientists, students and support staff work with collaborators, local partners, and communities across the island to safeguard rare plant species, protect natural habitats, improve livelihoods and increase food security, with the overall aim of conserving the ecology of this unique island for generations to come. 

A field camp in action

In the Arid Zone of the glasshouse, visitors will encounter a replica field camp, demonstrating the tools and techniques which Kew scientists and Malagasy partners use as part of their vital research away from a research centre or laboratory. Particularly focused on the field work which is taking place to document and record the grasses and savannas of Madagascar, this unique display will allow visitors to the Orchid festival a unique opportunity to engage with how research is conducted, and the vital role field work plays in many of RBG Kew’s ongoing global conservation partnerships.

Solène Dequiret, Supervisor of the Princess of Wales Conservatory at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew says: “It’s always rewarding for the team to plan, design and install the Orchid festival each year and for 2024 it’s wonderful to be able to draw inspiration from the incredible plant and animal life of Madagascar- an ecosystem like nowhere else on Earth. Telling the story of this incredible island nation through horticultural displays will also allow us to shine a light on the critical efforts of the team based at Kew’s Madagascar Conservation Centre, who work hard every day to conserve and protect the biodiversity of this unique environment.” 

Mary-Anne Daly, Chief Executive Officer, Cazenove Capital commented: “We are delighted to support the invaluable work of Kew' Gardens leading scientists through our continued sponsorship of Kew's extraordinary Orchid Festival. Kew is home to one of the largest botanical collections in the world and supporting its research into biodiversity reflects our firm’s commitment to protecting the environment and finding nature-based solutions to climate change. I look forward to seeing what promises to be a unique display in the Princess of Wales Conservatory in early 2024.”

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With Kew’s world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – Kew is using its trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity Kew relies on the critical support of its visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections and scientific expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation, and sustainable development in the UK and around the globe. Kew’s scientists and partners lead the way in the fight against biodiversity loss and finding nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, aided by five key scientific priorities outlined in Kew’s Science Strategy 2021-2025. Kew Gardens is also a major international and top London visitor attraction. Kew’s 132 hectares of historic, landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden and ‘living laboratory’, attract over 2.5 million visits every year. Kew Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 260th anniversary in 2019. Wakehurst is home to the Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world and a safeguard against the disastrous effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. RBG Kew received approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needs to support RBG Kew’s vital scientific and educational work comes from donors, memberships and commercial activity including ticket sales. For tickets, please visit www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/tickets. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 45,000 visitors with £1 tickets.

About Cazenove Capital

Cazenove Capital is a long-established wealth manager with an absolute focus on preserving and growing our clients’ wealth. Sustainability is central to our core investment approach and we support clients who chose to go further and invest for a better future for people and planet. When we invest in search of long-term, sustainable returns, our processes are built to make sure we capture opportunities and minimise the risks of failing to adapt to our changing world. Everyone who invests with us benefit from this sustainable approach – and our data shows it translates into higher long-term returns. Our experience of navigating complex markets and adapting to change helps us balance risk and reward. The investment expertise we call upon as part of Schroders, a truly global asset manager, combined with our long-standing experience of advising clients, is what sets us apart. For two centuries we have helped clients look forward to a successful future. With each client, we plan for the long term and invest the time to gain a detailed understanding of their unique circumstances, goals and ambitions. The majority of our clients, and many of our own people, work with us for years, decades and even generations.