Good evening, everyone.

It is a tremendous honour and privilege to stand before you today as President of the Landscape Institute. I am deeply humbled by the trust you have placed in me, and I promise to serve our profession with integrity, passion, and purpose. Before I look to the future, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge those whose leadership has brought us to this point.

Firstly, I would like to thank Carolin Göhler FLI for her outstanding service as President over the past two years. Carolin, thank you for your dedication and your unwavering commitment to the Landscape Institute and to our profession. You have led with compassion, resilience, and determination during what has undoubtedly been a challenging time for membership organisations, and we are all stronger because of your leadership.

I would also like to thank our Chief Executive, Robert Hughes, the Board of Trustees, Council members, Branches, Committees, our volunteers and the entire Landscape Institute staff and senior leadership team. Over the past year I have had the privilege of working much more closely with many of you, and in doing so I have gained an even greater appreciation of the commitment, expertise and passion that exists throughout our Institution.

It cannot be underestimated how challenging it is to lead a membership organisation in today’s climate. Yet despite those challenges, the Landscape Institute continues to champion excellence, uphold professional standards and advocate for a profession whose importance has never been greater. To everyone who has contributed to that journey – thank you. Last year, I stood before our members asking for your support. Today, I stand before you humbled by your trust.

When I launched my campaign, I spoke about hope, ambition, and collective impact. I said that our Royal Charter calls us to protect, conserve and enhance our world for the public good, and that we are not simply practitioners – we are stewards of hope and architects of change. I set out the four priorities that would shape my Presidency: empowering our members, inspiring the next generation, amplifying the voice of landscape, and leading with integrity.

Standing here today, those priorities remain exactly the same. If anything, they have become even more important. Although my Presidency officially begins today, the work has already begun.

Throughout my career, from neighbourhood parks and heritage projects in Bradford to national policy and international collaboration, I have witnessed the extraordinary power of landscape to transform lives. That belief has shaped my career, and it will shape my Presidency.

Over the past year I have been working alongside colleagues across the Landscape Institute to strengthen our position, build new partnerships, raise the profile of our profession, and ensure that landscape has an even stronger voice in the conversations that shape our future. I have listened to members from every stage of their careers. I have met with partners across government, academia, and industry. And everywhere I have gone, one message has been clear. Our profession has never been more important.

This past month, as many of us have experienced another intense heatwave, we have once again been reminded that climate change is no longer a distant challenge – it is our lived reality. The answer is not simply to respond to these challenges after they occur, but to design places that are resilient from the outset. Cooler streets. Greener neighbourhoods. Sustainable drainage. Restored ecosystems. Healthy urban forests. Places that protect both people and nature.

The challenges we face as a society are immense. Climate resilience. Nature recovery. Biodiversity. Public health. Housing. Flooding. Regeneration. Heritage. Creating places where people can thrive. These are not separate challenges. They are connected. And landscape sits at the heart of the solution. We do far more than design beautiful places.

Landscape is not simply about the spaces between buildings. It is where lives unfold, where nature recovers, where heritage is celebrated, where communities connect, and where hope takes root. It is the foundation of thriving communities, resilient environments, and a better future for generations to come.

Every day, landscape professionals improve lives, restore ecosystems, celebrate culture and heritage, strengthen local economies, and create places where people feel they belong. That is the power of landscape. That is the story we must tell with greater confidence. And that is the story I will champion throughout my Presidency.

As President, I want us to become an even stronger voice – within government, across industry and throughout society. I want decision-makers to instinctively recognise the value that landscape professionals bring.
I want every member to feel proud of belonging to this profession and confident that the Landscape Institute is championing them. I want us to celebrate excellence more visibly, support innovation more boldly, and inspire more people – particularly the next generation—to choose landscape as a profession where they can make a lasting difference.

As we look ahead toward the landscape institutes 100th birthday we have an extraordinary opportunity. One hundred years of leadership. One hundred years of protecting and enhancing landscapes. One hundred years of improving lives. 

But anniversaries are not simply about looking back and celebrating the past. They are about shaping what comes next. My hope is that over the coming years we bring more landscape professionals together than ever before – to celebrate everything our profession does for people, place and nature; to learn from one another; to support one another; and to demonstrate the extraordinary value we bring to society.

I also want to recognise those who came before me – those who challenged barriers, opened doors, and created opportunities for others to follow. Their courage helped shape the profession we are proud to be part of today. I hope that my Presidency encourages even more people, from every background and every community, to see that they too belong in this remarkable profession. Because talent exists everywhere. Opportunity should too.

Before I close, I would like to offer some personal thanks. To my friends and colleagues who have travelled from far and wide to be here this evening, thank you. Your friendship, encouragement, and belief in me have meant more than I can ever express. It means so much that you are here to share this moment with me.

To my family, thank you for your love, your patience and your unwavering support throughout my life and career. You have always encouraged me to dream big, work hard and never lose sight of what truly matters.

And finally, to my wonderful husband, thank you for standing beside me every step of this journey. Leadership is never a solitary endeavour. Your constant encouragement, understanding and belief in me have given me the confidence to take on this role, and I simply could not do it without you. This honour belongs not only to me, but to everyone who has supported, challenged, and inspired me along the way. 

Finally, I want to thank every member of the Landscape Institute for placing your trust in me. I do not take that responsibility lightly. Throughout my career, I have always believed that the greatest landscapes are never created by one person. They are created through partnership, trust, and a shared vision.

This Presidency will be no different. I will listen. I will represent you. I will champion our profession. And I will work tirelessly to ensure that landscape is recognised as central to creating a healthier, fairer, and more resilient future. 

This Presidency is not about one individual. It is about all of us. Together, let us be ambitious. Together, let us lead with courage. Together, let us champion our profession. And together, let us shape landscapes that leave a lasting legacy for people, place, and nature.

Thank you.

Dr Saira Ali FLI
President of the Landscape Institute

Image courtesy of Nick Harrison FLI