RBGE’S 350TH BIRTHDAY HIGHLIGHTS

BIG BOTANICS BIRTHDAY PARTY Visitors will be invited to celebrate the Garden’s 350th at a special birthday party. With a focus on its global infl uence, the Botanics will create a world festival featuring music, dance, food and a birthday cake. Celebrations will also take place at the Regional Gardens of Benmore, Logan and Dawyck during the summer months. Sun 14 Jun.

GARDEN OF TRANQUILLITY OPENING A new area will open at the Botanics that will provide a safe, peaceful and sensory space for visitors living with dementia and their carers. Jun.

ARTISTS RESIDENCIES, INVERLEITH HOUSE Over the course of a year, three artists Christine Borland, Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy will produce artworks inspired by the Garden’s rich archive and historic collections. Jul.

EXPEDITION TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh will undertake a four-week research expedition to Papua New Guinea. In collaboration with the Papua New Guinea Forest Research Institute and the National Museum of Scotland, the expedition will set out to discover and record new species of plants and insects, and monitor biodiversity by using next generation DNA sequencing. Aug.

NATURE’S VOICE GALA CONCERT The Botanics will collaborate with Dunedin Consort to perform music that celebrates nature, from Telemann’s Water Music to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, at a concert at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh. Tickets are on sale now at rbge.org.uk/concert and 0131 668 2019. Sat 10 Oct.

CHRISTMAS AT THE BOTANICS The annual Christmas light trail promises to be even more enchanting than ever during the Garden’s 350th year. From Fri 20 Nov.

HALTING PLANT EXTINCTION DEBATE Leading scientists will explore the biodiversity crisis from a botanical perspective in collaboration with the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Thu 26 Nov.

For more info, visit rbge.org.uk/350

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