INTO Tropical Gardens Award

Exciting news: A new forum for Heritage, Horticulture and Hope: INTO Tropical Gardens

We are thrilled to announce the formation of a new International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) Community of Practice focused on Tropical Gardens. A vibrant, cross-continental initiative bringing together INTO members who are passionate about gardens, climate resilience and cultural heritage.

This new group emerged from a rich and inspiring virtual meeting held in March 2025, where members from Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Malaysia, the Maldives and St Helena shared stories of their landscapes, challenges and aspirations. From desert parks to rainforest sanctuaries, each site is unique – but all are united by a shared commitment to sustainability, community engagement and the preservation of tropical biodiversity. See https://www.into.org/introducing-into-tropical-gardens/

The idea was sparked by Soham Kacker, plant ecologist and horticulturist who is the Curator of Living Collections at the Lunuganga Trust, at the gardens of Geoffrey Bawa Trust in Sri Lanka https://geoffreybawa.com who saw the potential for collaboration among INTO members working in tropical environments. The group identified common themes:

• Climate change adaptation and resilience
• Shared colonial legacies and heritage
• Urban green space and community outreach
• Revitalisation of native and ethnobotanical plant knowledge

Participants have expressed a strong desire to learn from one another, share best practices and explore how gardens can be tools for education, healing and cultural revival.

INTO have just granted funds for this new network and the NTZ is proud to announce that we have been selected to host one or two colleagues in Zimbabwe.

This is a fantastic opportunity for the NTZ to host our INTO colleagues and to showcase the work that is happening here.  Watch this space for further details on this cross cultural project.