Fifty years have seen Jim's talents blossom at Botanics

STAFF at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh are today celebrating their colleague's astonishing 50-year dedication to the organisation.

Scientist Dr James Ratter, 76, has now retired, but still manages to go nearly every week day to work as an associate researcher.

Dr Ratter has devoted his professional life to the study and preservation of the plant diversity of the cerrado region of Central Brazil.

During 50 years of work as a research scientist and honorary research associate at the RBGE, he has discovered new plant species and mapped the patterns of plant diversity in the region.

Dr Ratter, known as Jim, was born in Cambridge, before moving to Edinburgh as a child. He attended Melville College, then moved on to Liverpool where he attended the city's college and then Liverpool University.

He graduated as a botanist from Liverpool in 1955.

He said: "I was really interested in botanics from a young age and then became a botanist in 1955 after university. I worked from then until around 1960 in Liverpool and was then offered a place at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden just after. I had developed a real interest in tropical plants by this time, and in 1967 I made my first visit to Brazil. Things were definitely a lot different during that time."

Dr Ratter met his wife, Pam, when they were both students in Liverpool and they married in 1960.

They have one daughter, Alison, and two sons, David and Andrew.

His dedication to the RGBE, and his passion to preserve South American savannas has been the driving motivation for his work, and this has allowed him to follow in the footsteps of greats like Charles de Gaulle, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama after being honoured by the University of Brazil and the Brazilian government. One of his main achievements was the Doctor Honoris Causa, which he received in January 2006 becoming, only the 33rd person to receive the honour.

Dr Ratter said of the award: "I have a heartfelt love of the University of Brazil and this recognition gives me enormous pride."

Despite his recognition in Brazil, Dr Ratter is yet to receive substantial recognition across the UK.

Many think this reflects the doctor's inherent modesty, but Dr Ratter doesn't agree.

He said: "I think the chief reason is that the topics are in Brazil, and therefore concern Brazil principally, they're not really discussed as intently here."

Dr Ratter has managed to balance his work at RGBE, with his frequent visits to Brazil. He said: "I've had a fantastic career and I've done so much. The people at the RGBE and the different universities and expositions I've worked at in the past have always been unbelievably helpful and good to me, I feel very privileged."