A GLOBAL CITIZEN
Today, Eden’s interactive exhibitions and glorious
biomes bring these ideas to life. “You’re not just looking
at a collection of rainforest plants. I want people to get
a sense of rainforestness,” he says. Whether gardener
or schoolchild, entrepreneur or artist, the immersive
experience provides plenty of inspiration – not to
mention planting more than a few ideas.
“Eden is deliberately not ‘worthy’ – we try not to
make anything preachy,” says Tim. “We also don’t find
it helpful to say that we’re all going to hell in a handcart.
But we do need to point out that the rainforests
are being destroyed at a rate that is unacceptable.
Hopefully, visitors start to realise at a very simple
level that without plants there’s no life on earth.”
He’s seen (and helped remove) plastic waste heaped
on virgin tropical islands and believes the reason is
our belief that we are consumers first, rather than
joint citizens of a planet. “Our casual consumerism
is enabling people to say ‘the consumer wants...’ as
opposed to ‘why should it be?’ What has permitted us
as a culture to turn every form of decision-making into
this? We’ve confused democracy with consumerism.”Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tim believes education is
key, and his passion boils over when it comes to facts
over practicality. “Schools! What on earth is the point
of learning history, from Vikings to the Egyptians to
the Second World War? There’s nothing there about
the lessons of history. Education can’t be just facts. The
one subject that should be compulsory from the age of
three is natural history*.” Growing things and how to
cook food are more important than maths in his book.
He bemoans the downgrading of agriculture and
botany (“as much a science as engineering, pharmacy
or medicine”) and the emphasis on STEM subjects
(science, technology, engineering and maths) as
“nonsense – the world is not changed by one more fact.
It’s changed by ‘once upon a time’ – the most important
four words in the world. Storytelling is everything...”“You’re not just looking at a collection
of rainforest plants. I want people
to get a sense of rainforestness”
Tim Smit on stage
before a performance
by KT Tunstall, left,
and the iconic biomes
in what was once a
barren clay pit, belowAGLOBALCITIZEN
Today,Eden’sinteractiveexhibitionsandglorious
biomesbringtheseideastolife.“You’renotjustlooking
ata collectionofrainforestplants.I wantpeopletoget
a senseofrainforestness,”hesays.Whethergardener
orschoolchild,entrepreneurorartist,theimmersive
experienceprovidesplentyofinspiration– notto
mentionplantingmorethana fewideas.
“Edenisdeliberatelynot‘worthy’– wetrynotto
makeanythingpreachy,”saysTim.“Wealsodon’tfind
it helpfultosaythatwe’reallgoingtohellina handcart.
Butwedoneedtopointoutthattherainforests
arebeingdestroyedata ratethatisunacceptable.
Hopefully,visitorsstarttorealiseata verysimple
levelthatwithoutplantsthere’snolifeonearth.”
He’sseen(andhelpedremove)plasticwasteheaped
onvirgintropicalislandsandbelievesthereasonis
ourbeliefthatweareconsumersfirst,ratherthan
jointcitizensofa planet.“Ourcasualconsumerism
isenablingpeopletosay‘theconsumerwants...’as
opposedto‘whyshouldit be?’Whathaspermittedus
asa culturetoturneveryformofdecision-makinginto
this?We’veconfuseddemocracywithconsumerism.”
Perhapsunsurprisingly,Timbelieveseducationis
key,andhispassionboilsoverwhenit comestofacts
overpracticality.“Schools!Whatonearthisthepoint
oflearninghistory,fromVikingstotheEgyptiansto
theSecondWorldWar?There’snothingthereabout
thelessonsofhistory.Educationcan’tbejustfacts.The
onesubjectthatshouldbecompulsoryfromtheageof
threeisnaturalhistory*.”Growingthingsandhowto
cookfoodaremoreimportantthanmathsinhisbook.
Hebemoansthedowngradingofagricultureand
botany(“asmucha scienceasengineering,pharmacy
ormedicine”)andtheemphasisonSTEMsubjects
(science,technology,engineeringandmaths)as
“nonsense– theworldisnotchangedbyonemorefact.
It’schangedby‘onceupona time’– themostimportant
fourwordsintheworld.Storytellingiseverything...”“You’renotjustlookingata collection
ofrainforestplants.I wantpeople
togeta senseofrainforestness”
Tim Smit on stage
before a performance
by KT Tunstall, left,
and the iconic biomes
in what was once a
barren clay pit, below