Botanical gARdens as part of EuropeaN cultural heriTage Erasmus Project

Project Title

Botanical gARdens as part of EuropeaN cultural heriTage

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Natural sciences

Project Summary

The botanical gardens (further only BG) in Europe have similar historical, cultural and social roots but country-specific conditions of their origin, similar mission but different development. The BGs located in different countries have different, country and locally-specific climate, soil, resources, maintenance, pests and diseases. But, after all, they grow the same plants. BGs have various economic and marketing strategies depending on the founder and specific law and economy conditions in the country, within various organizations participating in the project (Academy of Sciences, universities and municipality or private entity). BGs deal with different financial resources and organizational issues related to their history. They deal with marketing at different levels or aim at different target groups of visitors. Educators, placement mentors and research students work in every botanical garden and they can focus on a range of research at local and international levels. BGs offer season-specific jobs and initial training for a new full-time and temporary staff. Working in botanic garden has many levels and it can offer many ways of informal learning. Every botanic garden is a unique location for education students, young people and the public.
Objectives of the B-Ardent! project laid fundamentally in communication with each other, in reflecting own practices in comparison with others and in finding similarities, inspirations and mutual understanding of the historical, cultural, social and educational, economic and horticultural characteristics and practices of botanical gardens in different European countries. And it’s been kept in mind during the project.
Persons engaged in the project used their hands and brains to share the good practices and co-operated together in the creation of summary outputs for education and training for target groups. Finally we received many positive feedbacks from outside the project for out outputs / booklets.
Specific objectives in relation to needs and expectations of target groups are:
The new international network of BGs has been created for communication, reflection, exchange of practices, collaborative learning and sharing of new knowledge. Many friendships have formed as well and people will keep in touch professionally in future.
A significant success has been the creating of innovative educational and training materials for workers (incl. young employees) and students in BGs. The B-Ardent! comparative methodology booklets are a great tool to get closer insight into problematics of ornamental plant collections and cultural heritage of BGs.
Number and type/profile of participants:
Altogether 25 participants took part in the project. Moreover people have co-operated on creating the outputs. They were specialists from botanical gardens, who have had a great deal in rising the standard of publication up. In general the team consisted of 13 curators of plant collections, 3 university students and 3 directors of BGs participating along with 6 other staff related to partners’ botanical gardens. Plus 4 external specialist have been asked to elaborate expert review of the outputs.
Description of the implemented activities:
1. International network of BGs from four countries proved to be efficient tool for sharing knowledge and good practices
2. Methodology – set of 4 booklets. Presentation of collections of historical ornamental plants (genera iris, daylily and peony), history and traditions of growing them in culture, introduction of gardens’ assortments, breeding development national and international, maintenance of the collections in terms of scientific significance. Most important results are lists of recommended garden varieties for each genera and summary and recommendation of basic garden maintenance. (For details see Intellectual Outputs)
3. Exhibitions introducing the B-Ardent! project, which has been presented separately in each BG in local languages. Guided walks accompanying exhibition took part as planned.
Achieved Impact:
a) Local – local communities have been addressed with garden expositions and guided walks as well as garden visitors who learn about cultural heritage also in foreign countries, they also educate in term of horticulture and scientific research.
b) Regional and national – visitors from one region/country have had chance to visit exhibition, national horticulture societies took part in guided walks and their representatives received booklets, regional universities and libraries obtained copies of project booklet, too.
c) International/European level – there are partners from four EU countries involved in the project, who cooperated also with international societies dealing with ornamental plants and with specialized organizations. This way we reached for instance American Iris Society, American Daylily Society, American Peony Society, Middle European Iris Society, German Society of Perennial Friends and more specialized companies and societies.
Long term benefits:
The project established international partnership of BGs workers and students for life-long learning and research in the field of botanical gardens. Many friendships have formed and we get to know the right people to ask while looking for professional answers to work questions.

Project Website

http://www.ibotky.cz/en/clanky/erasmus/283-b-ardent.html

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 173510,4 Eur

Project Coordinator

BOTANICKY USTAV AV CR, V.V.I. & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• Gartenkulturzentrum Niedersachsen PARK DER GÄRTEN
• VILNIAUS UNIVERSITETAS
• UNIWERSYTET WROCLAWSKI