Growing Connections: Marimurtra Promotes Knowledge Exchange with Catalonia’s Other Two Botanical Gardens

A few weeks ago, the scientific team at Marimurtra Botanical Garden visited Catalonia’s other two botanical gardens with the aim of strengthening collaboration and sharing experiences.

The purpose of these visits was to establish synergies, gain first-hand knowledge of the different facilities and, above all, connect the teams who work every day to protect and study plant biodiversity.

Three gardens, one common goal

Marimurtra visited the Barcelona Botanical Garden (JBB) and the Dr. Pius Font i Quer Arboretum – Lleida Botanical Garden. Although each of the three botanical gardens has its own identity, history and unique environments that shape its collections, they all face very similar challenges in terms of scientific management, the conservation of threatened species and adapting their collections to the challenges posed by climate change.

The meetings provided an opportunity to:

• Exchange working methodologies: learn how each team approaches the maintenance of collections and scientific documentation.
• Visit technical facilities: discover research areas, nurseries and conservation spaces that often remain behind the scenes and out of public view.
• Address shared questions: exchange experiences on the day-to-day management of botanical collections, from pest prevention to assessing the viability of new species.

The importance of working together

Collaboration between botanical gardens is key to advancing conservation, research and collection management. Meetings with the teams at the JBB and the Arboretum have provided an opportunity to share knowledge, exchange experiences and identify potential avenues for future collaboration. This network between Catalonia’s three Botanical Gardens is essential for creating a common front in the protection and promotion of our natural heritage.

These visits reinforce the commitment to maintaining active collaboration between Catalonia’s botanical gardens, fostering knowledge exchange and joint efforts to address the challenges they share.