Richard Hewitt
Nursery Team Manager
- Qualifications NCH
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Focus area
Places Populations
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Location
At the Zoo Madagascar and the Mascarenes UK & Europe
I found a passion for growing hardy plants early in my career, and developed skills in putting roots on a wide range of plants.
I have worked in commercial horticulture where I worked as a Nurseryman and as an Assistant Propagation Manager. I joined Chester Zoo in 2002 as a Lead Horticulturist and became Nursery Team Manager in 2015.
In my role I manage and maintain 5 Plant Heritage Collections of Nepenthes pitcher plants, Pleurothallidinae orchids and cacti (Copiapoa, Matucana and Turbinicarpus).
I also look after the propagation and growing of plants for our native species projects including black poplar, wild cotoneaster, grass – wrack pondweed, floating – water plantain and Llangollen whitebeam. Working with partners in Cheshire and North Wales I have been able to carry out in situ conservation of some of these species, helping to prevent their extinction in the future.