Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our Society is made up of brilliant people, each with unique backgrounds, characteristics, experiences, skills, and motivations. We value the differences that everyone brings to our work. These differences - this diversity - are powerful. As botanists we inherently value the richness of diverse plant communities, which function more effectively, are more resilient to change, support wider ecosystems, and provide greater environmental benefits. The same applies to people: fostering an inclusive and diverse culture benefits us all by embracing a wider range of perspectives, experiences and skills. Advancing equity in our work acknowledges that achieving equal outcomes may require different types of support for different individuals.

The BSBI is committed to actively championing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) across all our activities. We strive to make botany accessible to all, continuously learning, adapting, and holding ourselves accountable for progress. Our vision is a world where wild plants thrive, are valued, and are understood. As part of this mission, we aim to:

• Be representative of and actively engage with broader communities.
• Identify and remove barriers to participation.
• Welcome and support a diverse range of individuals who bring fresh ideas to benefit both people and wild plants.

Our Values

BSBI’s values are: A Love of Plants, Inclusive, Inquisitive, and Intrepid. These reflect who we are as a community now and how we aspire to be in the future. We embody our commitment to inclusion by:

• Seeking out and engaging with people with respect and sensitivity.
• Identifying and reducing barriers to participation, increasing opportunities for involvement.
• Fostering a safe and fair community where diversity and biodiversity are valued, and discrimination is not tolerated.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group

Our EDI working group includes representatives from trustees, staff, and members. This group plans and oversees our EDI work, and regularly reviews progress. Key members include Chief Executive Julia Hanmer, and Trevor Dines who is the lead trustee on EDI matters within BSBI.

Action on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

As part of our EDI action plan, we aim to learn and continually improve the ways in which we work. These actions include:

• Raising awareness of EDI and its importance within our work.
• Supporting staff and members in their EDI development needs.
• Learning from and collaborating with individuals who have lived experience of EDI challenges, supporting their wellbeing in the process.
• Drawing on expertise in EDI from within and outside our organisation.
• Celebrating the richness of our community by actively engaging under-represented communities, showcasing their experiences and amplifying their voices.
• Ensuring that our language, policies, processes, and visual materials are inclusive and representative of our diverse community.
• Regularly reviewing our EDI initiatives to maintain their effectiveness and impact. In line with GDPR, monitoring the diversity of our staff, members, recorders, trustees, conference speakers and chairs, and award nominees and winners, to track progress.
• Welcoming challenge, ideas, and feedback, recognising that our EDI work is an ongoing process. For any questions or suggestions, please contact Julia Hanmer (julia.hanmer@bsbi.org).
• Collaborating with members and partners to improve EDI in the environmental sector, including:
  • Signing up to JNCC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Monitoring Schemes.
  • Partnering in and committing to the National Plant Monitoring Scheme’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy.
  • Signing up to The Race Report and (from 2025) contributing data to monitor racial diversity within the sector as well as monitoring our own progress.
  • Working with partners to engage with diverse communities in botany projects, and learning from this work, for example the Eco-Museum of Scottish Mining Landscapes Project.
  • Hosting talks and panel discussions at our conferences to explore ways to overcome barriers to botany participation, for example: 'Getting started with plant ID'; 'Building a diverse community of botanists through urban botany walks for beginners' and How do we build a diverse community of botanists?

Expectations for Behaviour

We expect everyone at BSBI to uphold our commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Discrimination, harassment, or unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated. This includes discrimination based on, but not limited to:

• Age
• Culture
• Digital access
• Disabilities (including hidden disabilities)
• Gender identity
• Language
• Marital or civil partnership status
• Neurodiversity
• Pregnancy or parenthood
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Socio-economic status

BSBI recognises that discrimination, privilege, and oppression can relate to and intersect with these and other factors beyond protected characteristics listed in legislation.

We take complaints seriously and will actively take available steps to address unacceptable behaviour promptly, impartially, and without bias. For example, we will not be influenced by length of service or position. 

Reporting Concerns

If you have any concerns about harassment or inappropriate behaviour, please contact Julia Hanmer (julia.hanmer@bsbi.org). See our Complaints Policy for more details (or staff see policies in the Employee Handbook).

For safeguarding concerns, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Leads: Julia Hanmer (julia.hanmer@bsbi.org) or Jonathan Shanklin (jdsh@bas.ac.uk). See our Safeguarding policies for Adults or for Children and Young People for more information.

Together, we can build an inclusive and diverse community where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to participate fully in the study and appreciation of wild plants.