We are delighted to announce that Don Murray will be taking up the role of Head of Horticulture at National Botanic Garden of Wales. With Don’s wealth of expertise and experience in botanic gardens and beyond, we are welcoming a high calibre team member to join us in our work to strengthen and further develop the organisation.
Don has a career spanning 30 years across diverse horticultural and botanical visitor destinations. His career commenced at the previous headquarters of the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust located in Belhaven Gardens. His global experience included his work at the Marie Selby Botanical Garden in Florida and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he researched tropical tree canopies and unwittingly became an “Arbornaut.”
He has held significant positions including Director of Organic Horticulture at Garden Organic and Director of Horticulture at The Newt in Somerset. His leadership at Mount Stuart Trust as Head of Landscapes and Horticulture, and at the Eden Project in Cornwall as Head of Horticulture, was instrumental in transforming these sites into world-class gardens. Don also served as the Curator at Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses, further enhancing his reputation as a leader in garden and landscape management.
Don has an MSc in Plant Taxonomy and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture and the Linnaean Society. He is also actively involved in numerous professional bodies including the RSPB Scotland Advisory Committee, a Board Director of the Bute Community Forest, and a former longstanding Trustee of PlantNetwork.
Having recently been serving as a Freelance Consultant, Don has been deeply engaged in a variety of projects, notably with the Sustainable Landscape Foundation. His contributions to these endeavours focus on driving impactful environmental initiatives geared towards achieving sustainability goals and minimizing carbon footprints.