Christine Newton

Christine is Head of Schools and Families at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and a member of the BGEN committee.

How long have you been working with plants and the natural world?

All my working life except for six years in genetic research.

Why is helping to connect people and plants important to you?

If we care about ourselves and our children’s future then we have to care and understand plants, we have to wake up to the fact that our survival depends on that. If we go, then plants survive, not the other way round. That’s the bottom line. Then there is the joy and serenity that comes from hearing the wind in the trees,  looking into the centre of a passion flower and eating the product of the Cacao tree.

Tell us about a project you're really proud to have been involved in.

The Great Plant Hunt  - we invited primary school children to follow in the footsteps of Darwin by going on nature walks in and around their school grounds. Our inspiring resources took information about plants and how Kew scientists work into 22,000 schools in the UK, and many more through the website.

Finally, what is your favourite plant?

I don’t have favourites, or rather every day I have a different one! Sometimes it is the swirl and spiral of a fruit, other times it's the patterns in flowers or the scent of a rose.