University Considers Closing Dundee Botanic Garden Hosting Baby Memorial
A bereaved mother has expressed concerns regarding the potential closure of a garden run by Dundee University, which contains a memorial sculpture dedicated to families who have lost babies.
The university announced it is considering withdrawing from managing the Botanic Garden as part of broader plans to save an additional £20 million.
The garden is home to the Tree of Tranquility, a memorial organised by the charity Simba, which supports families who have experienced baby loss.
Eilidh Jamieson, whose daughter Lily was stillborn at 27 weeks in 2021, shared her feelings of "sadness and shock" upon learning about the proposal.
The Tree of Tranquility Memorial
The Tree of Tranquility is a metal sculpture featuring individually engraved copper leaves, each dedicated to a child. It was unveiled in June 2019.
Eilidh explained to BBC Scotland Drivetime the personal significance of the memorial:
"We had one made up for our daughter, and my husband and I had her dedication put on that leaf and it was attached to that tree.
We went incredibly frequently to start with, it's just a beautiful location, it's very peaceful, very private, it's very quiet.
It was somewhere we felt we could be open with our grief."
Since Lily was cremated and has no gravestone, Eilidh said the memorial tree is the only place she can visit to remember her daughter.
Lack of Communication and Emotional Impact
Eilidh stated she first learned about the garden's uncertain future through media reports rather than direct communication.
"There was no prior warning or information.
There's been no reassurances, there's been no forethought as to how that would make people feel hearing it in the manner we did."
She described the garden as giving Lily "a footprint in the world."
Eilidh also shared how the garden has been a place for family connection:
"When I had my son, after Lily, we took him there to kind of introduce him to his sister and spent time as a family there.
We did that again with my second son, it's not just the tree itself.
It's the setting and the place that is in the memories that people have associated with it."
Community Response and Future Prospects
A petition to prevent the closure of the Botanic Garden has gathered nearly 10,000 signatures.
Eilidh emphasised the unique nature of the garden and the importance of maintaining both the sculpture and its surroundings:
"The Botanic Garden itself is quite unique.
The absolute best case scenario would be if a trusted service would take over the running of the space so that we could maintain not only the sculpture itself, but its setting, which is incredibly important."
A spokesperson for Dundee University stated:
"The university is proposing to cease running the Botanic Garden.
We are continuing to explore alternative options for the future of the garden."
Simba, the charity responsible for the Tree of Tranquility, has reached out to the team managing the tree to obtain updates and timelines concerning the possible closure.
A Simba spokesperson said:
"We will, of course keep families updated on any changes as soon as we know more and can put a plan together when we have more information."
