Botanist and conservationist, David Bellamy, OBE, will be joining in a day of celebration and opening the ‘Evolution Collection’ at Bristol University’s new Botanic Garden on Saturday 5 July.

The day will focus on existing achievements that have taken place to develop the new garden, and the challenges ahead, together with highlighting the education and conservation work.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to meet and talk with Professor Bellamy, who will officially open the ‘Evolution Collection’ and plant a tree during his visit.

The garden has a strong evolutionary theme and cultivates over 4,500 plant species forming four core collections that illustrate plant evolution, plants from Mediterranean climates, useful plants and rare and threatened native plants associated with the Bristol area.

The plant collections are laid out in exciting displays including a dell demonstrating the evolution of land plants, including the dinosaurs’ favourite plants: ginkgos, cycads, tree ferns, monkey puzzles and one of the garden’s latest acquisitions, ‘Wolly’, the Wollemi Pine.  Other collections include the Chinese and European herb gardens and a vibrant display of plants illustrating floral diversity.

Professor Simon Hiscock, Director of the garden, said: “The new garden is unique among UK botanic gardens in telling the amazing story of plant evolution, from the lowly liverworts to glorious flowering plants like the giant Amazon water lily, resplendent in our tropical glasshouse. This is a wonderful opportunity to see what we have achieved so far and experience the extraordinary diversity of plants. We look forward to welcoming everyone to our Celebration Day.”

There will be an exhibition of the development of the new garden, together with research into some of the rare whitebeam trees found in the Avon Gorge.  Writhlington School in Radstock will have an exhibition of their award-winning work where children from the school are involved in propagating and growing some of the world’s most endangered orchids.  Other organisations like the Bristol Naturalists Society and the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project will also be exhibiting.

The University of Bristol Celebration Day will take place on Saturday 5 July.  The garden will be open from 10 am with activities, including tours of the garden, taking place from 2 pm.  Tea and refreshments will be available during the afternoon.  Admission is adults £3.50, school-aged children £1.