Elinor Gallant is Exhibitions Manager at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, where she develops and presents a variety of exhibitions that engage and inspire audiences in the natural world through a variety of art forms. She is at Cove Park working on two new exhibitions to be presented next year: One will introduce visitors to the wonders of lichen, what it is and how important it is, and will also include the work of jeweler Kate Bajik who has been inspired by lichens. Elinor is looking forward exploring to Cove and seeing what lichens she can lay her hands on!

In contrast the other project looks to a tropical plant family, and is all about revealing the uses and importance of a plant family very few people have heard of – Sapotaceae. Elinor has been working with a tropical botanist at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to develop an exhibition highlighting the industrial heritage of plants that had a massive impact on Victorian society, enabling global communications and the manufacturing of many items. Whilst at Cove Park, Elinor is working on how best to communicate a diversity of stories to the public that range from historical manufacturing right up to present day conservation.