A plant specialist has highlighted the importance of botanical gardens while visiting Bermuda last week.

Lina Ramirez Granada, a network co-ordinator for the Caribbean and Central American Botanic Gardens Network, visited the island 100 years after the decision to transform the Agriculture Centre into the Botanical Gardens.

She is also regional conservation initiatives co-ordinator for US-based Naples Botanical Gardens and co-ordinates with about 250 organisations to promote conservation, knowledge and training opportunities and highlight funding resources.

A government spokeswoman said: “Her visit showcased the ongoing collaboration between the Department of Parks, the Bermuda Botanical Society, the Bermuda Botanical Gardens Steering Committee as well as regional and international partners committed to conservation, education and professional development within botanic gardens across the Caribbean and Central America.”

The spokeswoman added that 30 per cent of all known tree species and 40 per cent of flowering plants risk human-led extinction.

She said: “According to the Caribbean and global strategies for plant conservation, reversing this trend is an international priority, and properly functioning botanical gardens with their educational focus are specifically noted as essential national assets for protecting threatened plant species.”

The spokeswoman added that working with regional partners such as Ms Ramirez Granada reflected a vision “for the gardens to strengthen its role as a living classroom, conservation resource and a welcoming public space that celebrates and safeguards Bermuda’s natural and cultural heritage for generations to come”.

Ms Ramirez Granada attended the awards ceremony for the Department of Parks 2025 basic plant identification course at the gardens this month.

The spokeswoman said the course, led by the Caribbean and Central American Botanic Gardens Network and plant specialists, and funded through the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve Grant, “underscored the central importance of plant identification to job-site safety and health, protection of threatened plant species as well as all aspects of landscape management.”

She added: “During the event, Ms Ramirez Granada congratulated course graduates, highlighting the relevance of courses like this for fostering job enrichment, laying the foundation for future career growth and illustrating how our regional networks specifically support our local botanic gardens and communities.”

Each participant was recognised for completing the course, but scores were based on attendance, assessments, group activities and bonus points.

The spokeswoman said: “Course assessors remarked favourably on the close level of final scores achieved between participants and encouraged graduates to continue on the pathway of professional development.”

She added: “The Department of Parks congratulates all participants for their dedication and commitment to learning.

“Programmes such as the basic plant identification course highlight the importance of plant identification in the workplace and reinforce the value of the Bermuda Botanical Gardens as a centre for education, conservation and community engagement.”