BIPOC Hort is pleased to present Dr. Usman Ibrahim, in conversation with Tracy Qiu.

Dr. Usman Ibrahim will discuss his role at the Ahmadu Bello University Gardens. Often described as a “garden in savanna”, the University Gardens are currently under development to address concerns about rapid and large-scale environmental degradation, pollution, and depletion of natural resources. The University’s goal in formalizing the garden is to spearhead the incorporation of sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations, and outreach at the university and in Nigeria through tree planting and a reforestation campaign. The University’s plans to formally establish this garden arise from the its work to arrest further environmental degradation, provide a conducive environment for living and learning, and to protect the major local source of drinking water—Kubanni Dam—from siltation and chemical pollution.

Dr. Ibrahim is the Head of Horticulture Section at Samara College, Ahmadu Bello University, Over the past 10 years, he has been involved in interdisciplinary extension and research programs that support productivity, profitability, and sustainable production of horticultural and field crops in Nigeria. He is the Immediate Past President-in-Council of the Horticultural Society of Nigeria, a member of the founding team for the formation of the Nigerian Public Gardens Association, a member of the African Center for Horticultural Gardens, and a graduate of the Longwood Fellows Program where he was bestowed with the Leadership in Horticulture Award.

Tracy Qiu is an art maker, researcher, gardener, and decolonial thinker interested in decentering and interrupting the ways we think about nature, gardening, plants, and environment. A doctoral candidate at Concordia University studying botanical gardens, coloniality, and decolonization through creative projects, Tracy also teaches and facilitates workshops on racial diversity, equity/inclusion, and decolonization in public gardens. She is a lifelong sewist and craftsperson and a plant-dye enthusiast with an interest in Chinese and settler-Canadian culture and diaspora.

BIPOC Hort extends their gratitude to Bartram’s Garden for hosting the Zoom.

Tracy Qiu will touch on her experiences in horticulture, her master's thesis on racial diversity and public garden leadership, and her current research on decolonizing botanical garden institutions.

Omar Degan was born and grew up in Turin, Italy and is a Somali architect who holds a BA in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Turin, and an MSc (Hons) in Architecture for Sustainability from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He is the founder and principal of DO Architecture and Design, an architecture firm based in Mogadishu, which specializes in sustainability, emergency architecture and post-conflict reconstruction. After an international career, Omar returned permanently to his ancestral home Somalia to support the post-conflict reconstruction process. The reclamation of priorly existing public spaces and gardens, and the establishment of new ones is a major focus of his practice. Omar’s BIPOC Hort lecture ‘Public Spaces for Conflict Mitigation’ will center on common green spaces in upgrading post-conflict zones, and the broader roles of public space design in allaying gender, class and internecine animus. BIPOC Hort is honored to have Mr. Degan as the third and final speaker in our first public lecture series. Learn more about him at www.degan-omar.com. Registration and fee information will be shared at a later date.

Ximena Nazal graduated from the Universidad Católica de Valparaíso with a degree in Agricultural Engineering and holds a Postgraduate Degree in Landscape Architecture and Management from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Ximena is well known and respected throughout South America and Europe for her work developing xeriscaped gardens, for her international exploring and lectures, and most of all, for her never-ending quest to learn about plants and the landscapes in which they thrive. A great friend to BIPOC Hort, Ximena’s lecture ‘Chilean Gardens in Contrast’ will cover amongst other themes, desert encroachment and fear of innovation, and will culminate in a discussion about her firm Studio Xero’s innovative and successful plant palette. BIPOC Hort is honored to have Ms. Nazal as the second speaker in our lecture series. Learn more about her at www.studioxero.cl. Lecture in English. Registration and fee information will be shared at a later date.

Juliet Sargeant has a BA (Hons) in Garden Design and is a Registered Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers (UK). Juliet acts as an RHS show garden judge and is a familiar face on British television gardening programs. Her BIPOC Hort lecture titled "Why Gardens Matter" will be a reflection on 30 years of work as a garden designer, outlining some projects that have been important to her in transforming people’s lives and the way that they relate to their gardens and the wider landscape. Juliet won the 2016 Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show, as well as The People’s Choice Award for her Modern Slavery Garden. BIPOC Hort is honored to have Ms. Sargeant as the first speaker in our public lecture series. Learn more about her at www.julietsargeant.com. Lecture registration and fee information will be shared in the near future.