ADDIS ABABA – Gulele Botanical Garden (GBG) said that it is putting a lot of efforts to expand conservation of endangered and endemic plants.
Apart from the thematic garden that hosts plants in categories such as medicinal plants, herbs and vegetables, indigenous plants, essential oil plants et-cetera; it has recently expanded a nursery of 0.65 hectare which has the capacity to grow 300,000 plant siblings per year.
Around one hectare of fruit garden and another hectare of rose garden have already been developed. They have also developed a 13 hectare lawn Area used for recreation, according to Hiyab Gebretsadik (PhD), Vice Executive Director of Gulele Botanical Garden.
Noting that various activities are underway to expand its activities, he mentioned that the Garden holds around 1,000 of Ethiopia’s species, out of the estimated 6,500 plant species.
He added that a number of species which were scattered across the country and were under threat are collected for proper care.
As the main purpose of botanical gardens is conservation, they save endangered plant species by serving as caring custody or for scientifically multiplication to increase their population.
Likewise, they have been playing significant role for research purposes.
“The garden is helpful as it enables us to observe the evolution of plant species in a contained plot and easily track changes; study periodic climate changes by studying plant behaviors over time.”
He also said: “We have given environmental trainings to thousands of the city’s children and provided eco-tourism services for hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Though the garden is visited by hundreds of thousands local and international visitors per year, especially by those who have high interests in botanic and the natural environment., he called on the media including environmental activists to pay a visit, document and disseminate information about the garden to the public.
With the aim to attract more tourists in the garden, the Vice Director noted that construction of lodges, recreational halls and headquarter are under development.
Mentioning that very large section of the garden is conserved physically and biologically, he said that more than half of the garden has been replaced by indigenous and endemic plants.
Botanical gardens are specified plots of lands that are designed to conserve and care of plant resources of special value, particularly rare, economically important and endangered species which are under threat to eventually hand it over to successive generations.
The Ethiopian Herald March 4/2020
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
