Introducing the Living Collections Manual
04 March 2026
We are proud to introduce the Living Collections Manual, a new document that brings together the standards, processes, and expertise that underpin the management of the living collections at Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG). This document complements the Living Collection Strategy in that it outlines the policy and procedures that underpin the fundamental objectives that drive our collection.
Living collections are at the heart of CUBG’s mission. Our collections are diverse – we cultivate nearly 8,000 taxa in our 40-acre landscape. Our collections are accessible – they support scientific research, conservation, teaching, public engagement, and botanical heritage. Caring for these collections requires not only horticultural skill, but also documentation, decision-making, and long-term planning. The Living Collections Manual has been developed to provide the continuity and structure required to manage this dynamic resource, to unlock its potential and help solve some of society’s most pressing challenges.
The Living Collections Manual is more than simply a reference document. It represents a recognition of the dynamic nature of living collections and the complexity of the work necessary to manage them. Clear processes and standards enable better decisions, improve efficiency, and help ensure that the collections remain resilient in the face of environmental change and evolving research needs.
The document covers the full scope of curatorial processes at CUBG, from acquisitions to managing living plants and their records to utilization of the collection. It also aligns closely with our digital plant records systems, ensuring that curatorial, horticultural, and spatial data can be used effectively to support management and research. Through well kept records, one can understand capacity, phenology, climatic tolerance, and other fundamental enquiries of cultivation.
We hope that this resource will contribute to wider professional practice across botanic gardens and arboreta, and that it will be shared and replicated as part of the wider ethos of open access, best practice and collaborative work towards common goals. By sharing our approach, we aim to support collaboration, ignite discussion, and contribute to improvements across the sector.
The Living Collections Manual will continue to evolve as our collections and priorities develop. Many institutions are navigating similar challenges as they care for increasingly important living collections in a changing world. Feedback from staff and the wider botanic garden community will play an important role in shaping future versions.
We invite you to explore the manual and learn about how CUBG cares for its living plant collections. For more information or enquiries, please contact our Curation Team at curation@botanic.cam.ac.uk
