Ignacio Czajkowski

Ignacio Czajkowski is the Senior Living Collections and Records Officer at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, where he plays a pivotal role in the management and documentation of the garden's living collections.

Ignacio Czajkowski . His team is instrumental in ensuring the records of the garden's vast plant collections are meticulously maintained and updated, and supporting the Horticulture, Science, and Education teams by providing essential data and insights.

Ignacio has a diverse educational background in environmental sciences, holding a Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management and a Diploma in Geographic Information Systems from TAFE. He also earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of New South Wales, with a double major in Ecology and Earth Sciences.

His skills in plant identification, record management, GPS and drone hardware, and geospatial data management are crucial for the accurate documentation of the garden's diverse flora.

A typical day for Ignacio is dynamic and varied. It might involve responding to public enquiries about specific plants, conducting a regular stocktake of the living collections, or creating new records for wild plants collected by the Horticulture and Science teams. He also produces tags and labels for the three gardens and updates the digital records with the latest data.

What Ignacio enjoys most about his job is the diversity of his tasks and the opportunity to work across different sites. Each location offers unique challenges and learning opportunities with plants from various regions of the world, from Australia to North America, Southeast Asia and Europe. This variety keeps his days engaging and allows him to continually hone his expertise in global plant species.

Ignacio is particularly proud of his team’s achievement in documenting and mapping 100% of the curated plants across the three gardens – a milestone that had never been reached before. This comprehensive mapping provides vital information for managing the living collections effectively.

Outside of his professional life, Ignacio is an avid plant enthusiast, with a special affection for Crocus (saffron flowers). He cultivates over 20 species of Crocus at home and has an extensive collection of bulbs from South Africa and Europe, reflecting his deep interest in botany and plant conservation.

His choice of career was driven by a desire to combine his commitment to plant conservation and protection with a blend of field and office work, making his current role a perfect match for his interests and aspirations.