Margaret Elizabeth Bradshaw (born 1926) is a British botanist and conservationist noted for her extensive scientific study and protection of rare plant species in Upper Teesdale, County Durham, England. Her work has primarily focused on the "Teesdale Assemblage," a unique group of arctic-alpine plants that have persisted in the region since the end of the last glacial period.
Bradshaw served as a member of the Department of Extra-Mural Studies at Durham University. Her academic research included significant work on the genus Alchemilla (commonly known as lady's-mantles), for which she is considered a specialist. In the 1960s, she was a prominent scientific voice in the campaign to oppose the construction of the Cow Green Reservoir. She argued that the flooding of the site would result in the loss of irreplaceable botanical habitats. Although the reservoir was ultimately built, the campaign led to increased national awareness of the area's ecological importance and the establishment of more rigorous conservation monitoring.
In 2017, Bradshaw founded the Teesdale Special Flora Trust, an organization dedicated to the long-term conservation and surveying of rare plants in the North Pennines. Her longitudinal data on these species have provided insights into the impacts of climate change and land management on rare flora.
In recognition of her contributions to botanical conservation, Bradshaw was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1977 New Year Honours. She has remained an active field researcher and advocate for biodiversity into her late nineties, publishing "Teesdale's Special Flora: Places, Plants and People" in 2023.