Wanted: expedition botanist to follow in Darwin’s footsteps and look for plants
If you have a sense of adventure and know your squills from your spurges, Cambridge University Botanic Garden may have the job for you
With the promise of travel, adventure and the chance to follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, applications have opened for what might be the best job in the natural world: an expedition botanist to go on plant-collecting adventures for Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
It is understood to be the first time such a post has been offered by a British botanic garden in modern history. “It’s very unusual – there was no template for this,” said Samuel Brockington, professor of evolutionary biology and curator at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG).
Expeditions will be the main focus of the role, which pays up to £44,263 a year. Applicants are expected to be keen botanists with a relevant undergraduate degree, a passion for travel, an intrepid spirit – and the ability to identify a new or interesting plant species growing in the wild.
“So many people love the opportunity to travel, and see different landscapes and experience different cultures, and the world of botany is a fantastic lens to do that through,” said Brockington.
