Tree-mendous effort by George on the botanical trail
In a bid to raise the profile of Scotland’s national botanic gardens, one man has spent eight days running the 356 miles between the four of them, starting last week in Argyll’s Benmore Botanic Garden.
The garden north of Dunoon bid farewell and good luck to George Sherriffs, acquisitions librarian at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, on Tuesday April 23 as he set off on his epic run.
George’s ambitious endeavour saw him circuit the research institute’s four gardens starting at Benmore, before reaching Logan in Dumfries and Galloway, Dawyck in the Scottish Borders and finishing at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on Tuesday (April 30).
The route, amidst some of Scotland’s hilliest backdrops, included several sections where he had to run distances of some 50-plus miles each day.
George said: “I have undertaken multiple marathons and other challenging long-distance runs over the last 39 years and felt this would be a great way to highlight the vital research and conservation work taking place at our gardens.
“This venture was originally scheduled for 2020, the 350th anniversary year of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – a number that aligned almost perfectly with the 356-mile length of the run – but we sadly had to postpone because of the pandemic.”
Peter Baxter, curator of Benmore Botanic Garden said: “George’s journey represents a significant physical and mental challenge, but his run will help to raise awareness and mobilise support for the work that we do at Benmore and our other gardens to combat biodiversity loss and the climate crisis.”
Each of RBGE’s four gardens are different in topography, soils and climate, enabling an exceptionally wide range of species to be grown and researched for wider conservation efforts.
Together, Benmore, Logan, Dawyck and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh constitute one of the richest plant collections on Earth, at a time when the organisation is a leading force in
George Sherriffs sets off from Benmore Botanic Garden. the fight against the impact of the biodiversity crisis and climate emergency.
To donate to the campaign: www.justgiving. com/campaign/runningwild.