Peter Symes

Peter has over 30 years’ experience in technical support and management of large botanical landscapes including analysis and design of plant environments, climate change adaptation, integrated water management, living collection management, plant biosecurity, plant selection and soil health. Lead author (and primary researcher) of the pioneering Landscape Succession Strategy of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria to maintain plant diversity and guide the future transition of the historic landscape through climate change. The development of this Strategy lead to the formation of the Climate Change Alliance of Botanic Gardens for which Peter played a key role in establishing
and recruiting membership (c. 500 members across 96 countries). He was project manager for the development of the world first Climate Assessment Tool that enables a risk ranking against climate scenarios for most of the world’s known trees. Peter has presented widely and published peer reviewed papers on climate change adaptation, landscape management, irrigation and water management, and plant biosecurity. He has also co-supervised undergraduate and postgraduate students with The University of Melbourne (plant selection, microclimate monitoring) and Monash University (water quality improvements). From 2013-2020, Peter was a director of the NGO Global Gardens of Peace (still life member) and with the aim of building a living landscape to support the wellbeing of vulnerable people in the Gaza Strip, he visited Israel, Gaza and the West Bank on a few occasions to provide technical expertise, develop interdisciplinary collaboration and undertake multilateral negotiations. Over the last two years, Peter has been in the role of Curator at the Cooktown Botanic Gardens in the dry tropics of far North Queensland, Australia. This position has developed further expertise in climate change, landscape and natural resource management, botanical collections, plant conservation and partnerships with NGO’s and traditional owners.