Place Ecology of a Botanic Garden

The purpose of this paper is to combine ideas and frameworks of Place Ecology (PE) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to capture impact of Botanic Gardens’ (BGs) research, collaborations and good practice via autoethnographic approaches; ‘measuring demonstrable impact of the work of BGs’ being a gap in the extant literature. The study also contributes to ongoing debates and conceptualisation of place(s) and understanding on the multiplicity and dynamics of place(s), the improvement of place(s) and making place(s) better. This is an autoethnographic study of a BG in Britain over the course of three years with more focus and five-day visits over the four seasons (Place Phenology across Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer) of the third year (2018-2019). Continued insights into the work, roles and responsibilities of BGs highlight their significance, potential and innovations. This is a study aiming to document BGs as cutting edge, globally connected, research institutes with success in biophysical works but also highlighting BGs as key to place(s) for so much more, across ever-growing demonstrable environmental, sociocultural and economic impacts.