*Subsequent to the interview, the news of a potential GCSE in natural history broke: perhaps someone is listening.TALES OF THE FUTURE
If you haven’t realised by now, Tim is unafraid to speak
his mind. He’s exasperated by cack-handed attempts
to deal with our environmental crisis, from well-
meaning but ill-informed entrepreneurs (“Like people
who make clothes out of recycled plastic. It’d be helpful
if they knew something about effing science! Those
clothes shed so many microplastics when washed,
it’d be better to just bury the plastic.”) to political
leaders, pointing out the absence of taxes on new
plastics entering the market but no tax breaks on
those recycled. “There’s no economic incentive
and it ends back in landfill. Crazy.”
But he has no desire to enter politics himself. “I’d
need a mansion full of cupboards in which to keep my
skeletons... I prefer to do. I reckon I can make a lot
more difference by doing things and exciting others.”
With five grandchildren aged from eight to “a half”,
the fortunes of the next generation are close to hisheart. “I’m lucky that all of my children spend a lot
of time in Cornwall. We’re quite a tribe.”
Tim lives with partner Gaynor, who he met when
she joined the Eden team as financial director in 1998,
and his favourite downtime is to simply be domestic:
reading, good coffee, taking their two spaniels for
a walk around their home near St Austell and being
“an unpaid lackey for Gay,” who’s a keen gardener.
Is he optimistic about the future? “I think we’re
living through a time that we were meant to arrive
at – the Great Battle – where our arrogance comes
to a denouement. We’ve found the species’ weak point,
which is that we don’t know how to stop consuming.”
But humans have a history of rescuing themselves- and we are living in an age of “fantastically exciting”
scientific advances. “So yes, I am optimistic. Most
people are good. So long as we have that instinct we
are not doomed. We just need excuses to find the best
in us, not the worst.”
GARDENS AND EDEN
The Tim Smit CV
1954 Born in Holland.
1956 Starts learning to play
the piano.
1958 Dodged death when he and his
mother failed to board a flight
that later crashes.
1973 Reads Archaeology and
Anthropology at Durham
University.
1978 Starts off on the dole,
before working in the
music industry.
1982 His song, Midnight Blue,
is No.1 in 13 countries.
1987 Moves to Cornwall where he
and John Nelson ‘discover’
and restore The Lost
Gardens of Heligan.
2001 Eden Project opens. The
following year, the book about
the project, Eden, becomes
the bestselling environment
book of the century, to date.
2002 Awarded honorary CBE; ten
years later, appointed KBE.
2016 Buys Charlestown’s Shipwreck
Museum, near St Austell
in Cornwall.
2018 Becomes co-owner of historic
Charlestown Harbour, a key
Poldark location.
2019 Some 21 million people
have visited Eden Project,
contributing nearly £2 billion
to the Cornish economy.
2023 Eden North opens?
2025 Aims to have an Eden
Project on every inhabited
continent.PHOTOGRAPHY: HELIGAN GARDENS LTD; KELLY HANCOCK/UCF/SHUTTERSTOCK;
TRAVELBILD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTOThe Lost Gardens of
Heligan, above, were
brought back to life
by Tim’s vision and
imagination. Tim and
his partner Gaynor, rightWISDOM*Subsequent totheinterview,thenewsofa potentialGCSEinnaturalhistorybroke:perhapssomeoneislistening.TALES OFTHEFUTURE
If you haven’trealisedbynow,Timisunafraidtospeak
his mind. He’sexasperatedbycack-handedattempts
to deal withourenvironmentalcrisis,fromwell-
meaning butill-informedentrepreneurs(“Likepeople
who makeclothesoutofrecycledplastic.It’dbehelpful
if they knewsomethingabouteffingscience!Those
clothes shedsomanymicroplasticswhenwashed,
it’d be bettertojustburytheplastic.”)topolitical
leaders, pointingouttheabsenceoftaxesonnew
plastics enteringthemarketbutnotaxbreakson
those recycled.“There’snoeconomicincentive
and it endsbackinlandfill.Crazy.”
But he hasnodesiretoenterpoliticshimself.“I’d
need a mansionfullofcupboardsinwhichtokeepmy
skeletons...I prefertodo. I reckonI canmakea lot
more differencebydoingthingsandexcitingothers.”
With fivegrandchildrenagedfromeightto“ahalf”,
the fortunesofthenextgenerationareclosetohisheart.“I’mluckythatallofmychildrenspenda lot
oftimeinCornwall.We’requitea tribe.”
TimliveswithpartnerGaynor,whohemetwhen
shejoinedtheEdenteamasfinancialdirectorin1998,
andhisfavouritedowntimeistosimplybedomestic:
reading,goodcoffee,takingtheirtwospanielsfor
a walkaroundtheirhomenearStAustellandbeing
“anunpaidlackeyforGay,”who’sa keengardener.
Isheoptimisticaboutthefuture?“Ithinkwe’re
livingthrougha timethatweweremeanttoarrive
at– theGreatBattle– whereourarrogancecomes
toa denouement.We’vefoundthespecies’weakpoint,
whichisthatwedon’tknowhowtostopconsuming.”
Buthumanshavea historyofrescuingthemselves- andwearelivinginanageof“fantasticallyexciting”
scientificadvances.“Soyes,I amoptimistic.Most
peoplearegood.Solongaswehavethatinstinctwe
arenotdoomed.Wejustneedexcusestofindthebest
inus,nottheworst.”
GARDENSANDEDEN
TheTimSmitCV
1954 Bornin Holland.
1956 Startslearningtoplay
thepiano.
1958 Dodgeddeathwhenheandhis
motherfailedtoboarda flight
thatlatercrashes.
1973 ReadsArchaeologyand
Anthropologyat Durham
University.
1978 Startsoffonthedole,
beforeworkingin the
musicindustry.
1982 Hissong,MidnightBlue,
is No.1in 13 countries.
1987 MovestoCornwallwherehe
andJohnNelson‘discover’
andrestoreTheLost
Gardensof Heligan.
2001 EdenProjectopens.The
followingyear,thebookabout
theproject,Eden, becomes
thebestsellingenvironment
bookof thecentury,todate.
2002 AwardedhonoraryCBE;ten
yearslater,appointedKBE.
2016 BuysCharlestown’sShipwreck
Museum,nearStAustell
in Cornwall.
2018 Becomesco-ownerof historic
CharlestownHarbour,a key
Poldarklocation.
2019 Some21 millionpeople
havevisitedEdenProject,
contributingnearly£2billion
totheCornisheconomy.
2023 EdenNorthopens?
2025 AimstohaveanEden
Projectoneveryinhabited
continent.PHOTOGRAPHY: HELIGAN GARDENS LTD; KELLY HANCOCK/UCF/SHUTTERSTOCK;
TRAVELBILD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
The Lost Gardens of
Heligan, above, were
brought back to life
by Tim’s vision and
imagination. Tim and
his partner Gaynor, rightWISDOM