Illegally imported wood has been used in the construction of a visitor centre at the Royal Botanic Gardens’ country estate, Wakehurst Place in West Sussex – but it is all perfectly above board.
The shipment of around 10m3 of sawn plank afromosia arrived in the UK from Zaire 10 years ago – but it had no export documents and was seized by HM Customs.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, which works with Customs to inspect plant consignments to ensure conformity with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and to negotiate the final use of seized material, was called in to identify the timber.
Andy Jackson, head of Wakehurst Place, was able to secure the afromosia for use in a new £2m visitor centre at the Royal Botanic Gardens’ Ardingly estate.
