The new curator manager of the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mount Tomah has ambitious plans to open up more of the spectacular pristine wilderness space to the public.
After exploring the 252-hectare site when he arrived for the new role, Ashley Filipovski said there was so much untapped potential.
"I've hiked through the remote areas of the gardens with staff and seen some remarkable sites," he said.
"The pristine wilderness, the beauty of the cool climate gardens and the endless views of the mountain ranges left a profound impression on me, and I'd like to share this with more people."
It's been quite the tree change for Mr Filipovski and his young family, packing up their home by the beach in Geelong a few months ago and moving to the mountains of NSW despite never even holidaying here.
Left the coast
"We enjoyed a coastal lifestyle living on the Ballarine Peninsular, I loved everything about it, so leaving home was a very hard decision," he said.
"However, the opportunity to contribute to a unique Garden such as this one was too good to miss. When I heard about the fires, landslides, floods and all the natural disasters affecting this place I could see my skills being utilised quite effectively."
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Mr Filipovski started at the Geelong Botanic Garden as an apprentice 20 years ago before leaving for other roles and returning as its director in charge of 15 staff and 120 volunteers.
While he has a background in design and landscaping, he has a passion for horticulture and skills in leadership management, so he plans to combine everything to take the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah to the next level.
Untapped potential, hidden gems
"I'm really excited to see spring here because there's big seasonal changes," he said. "But the areas I'm most excited about are not open to the public. These hidden gems can offer some of the most unique experiences I've seen.
"I hope to bring a fresh perspective to the Garden and really strengthen our conservation efforts. The soon to be released Living Collections strategy will play a key role in this. The strategy will help us to confidently step forward into the future as a leader in conservation and sustainable horticulture, something I'm very excited to be a part of."
Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah is a tourist icon and part of the Australian Institute of Botanical Science. The Institute is one of the nation's premier botanical research organisations and helps to ensure the survival of plants and build more resilient ecosystems for future generations.
