Category: Marimurtra

Marimurtra closes Science Week with nine days of activities bringing knowledge closer to the public

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The Marimurtra Botanical Garden has concluded a new edition of Science Week after nine days of activities combining scientific rigour, outreach and proposals for all audiences. The programme, which began on 8 November with the Monograph on Aquatic Environments, featured specialised lectures, family activities and educational initiatives across the region.

The central event took place on Saturday with a new edition of Marimurtra + Scientist, a day that highlighted the communication and outreach work carried out by the Garden’s team, in line with the founding values of the Carl Faust Foundation.

The session included two keynote lectures. Oceanographer and marine ecologist Jordi Boada, researcher at CEAB-CSIC, explored marine habitats and the ecological balance of aquatic environments. Archaeologist, naturalist and explorer Jordi Serrallonga then delivered a lecture dedicated to Alexander von Humboldt, a key figure in understanding the foundations of modern science.

The day concluded with the unveiling of a new panel dedicated to Humboldt, now incorporated into the route of Marimurtra’s Great Scientists collection. The presentation was led by Head of Outreach Anna Sans, and the unveiling was carried out by the President of the Carl Faust Foundation, Cristòfol Jordà; the Councillor for Environment and Gardens of Blanes, Jaume Frigola; and Jordi Serrallonga.

The programme also included activities such as Botany with the Family, which sold out, and the guided tour The Biodiversity of Marimurtra, reinforcing the Garden’s commitment to making scientific knowledge accessible to diverse audiences.

Meanwhile, for the second consecutive year, the Marimurtra team visited schools in Blanes, Lloret, Tordera and Palafolls to deliver the hands-on activity The Secret of Seeds. Nearly 300 students learned what a seed is and how it disperses, through play-based and experiential learning.

Lilia and Sonja, the ESC programme volunteers arrive at Marimurtra

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This October, Marimurtra welcomed Lilia and Sonja. They are the new participants of the “Volunteers for a Green Future” project, coordinated by the German organisation NaturKultur e.V., which is part of the European programme European Solidarity Corps (ESC).

The goal of the ESC is to bring young people together to build a more inclusive society, supporting vulnerable individuals and responding to social challenges. It offers inspiring and empowering experiences for young people who wish to help, learn, and grow.

The Fundació Privada Carl Faust is the host organisation of the project, responsible for welcoming the volunteers and involving them in activities at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden related to education and scientific outreach, sustainable conservation, and research. In addition, the Consorci de Normalització Lingüística collaborates by offering a basic Catalan language course to facilitate their integration.

The project lasts nine months and receives more than 90 applications each year. For this reason, the volunteers, very grateful, said the following:

“Hello! My name is Lilia, I’m 23 years old and I’m from Bonn (Germany). I’m very happy and excited to be part of this project. The first days have been full of new experiences — a new language, new people, and a new workplace. I feel very welcomed and I’m eager to learn more about the Botanical Garden, the Catalan language, and its culture.”

— Lilia Kaiser

“I’m Sonja, I’m 19 years old, and in recent months I’ve been learning about gardening, enjoying time outdoors, and spending time in Botanical Gardens. The combination of all this has given me the perfect foundation to complete this volunteering experience at the beautiful Marimurtra, which makes me very excited. I’ll also be able to discover Catalonia, its people, and its culture, which makes me even more eager to be here.”

— Sonja Queck

Since 2019, Marimurtra has been taking part in the ESC programme, welcoming international volunteers to its facilities as part of a well-established project linked to the European Union.

The IUCN and the Red List: a window into the future of biodiversity

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This month, while the IUCN World Congress 2025 is held in Abu Dhabi, it is a good time to remember the fundamental work that this organization does to protect nature around the world. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is the international reference body in conservation, with more than 1,400 members from 140 countries, including governments, NGOs and scientific centers. Its mission is clear: to promote the conservation of nature and the sustainable use of its resources to guarantee a sustainable future for people and the planet.

One of the best-known instruments of the IUCN is the Red List, the Red List of Threatened Species. This tool assesses the risk of extinction of species on a global scale, guiding conservation policies, prioritizing actions and orienting scientific research. Currently, more than 169,000 species worldwide have been assessed, more than 6,000 in Europe and about 5,000 in Spain, including more than 1,000 species in Catalonia.

Species are arranged in categories that reflect their degree of vulnerability: extinct (EX), extinct in the wild (EW), critically endangered (CR), endangered (EN), vulnerable (VU), others categorized as least concern (LC), and even others for which insufficient data are available to know their conservation status (DD), and some that are, for now, not evaluated by this list (NE).

At the Marimurtra Botanical Garden we have representatives of all the categories, except for those species that, unfortunately, are extinct (EX). Some examples are:

  • Lysimachia minoricensis is a species extinct in the wild (EW).
  • Agave nickelsiae is critically endangered (CR).
  • Aeonium gomerense endangered (EN).
  • Agave decipiens is vulnerable (VU).
  • Phoenix theoprhasti is near threatened (NT).
  • Agave attenuata is of least concern (LC).
  • We even have species not evaluated (NE) such as Colletia paradoxa.
  • Or with insufficient data (DD) such as Nelumbo nucifera.

The IUCN World Congress, held from October 9 to 15, 2025, brings together experts and members from all over the world to debate transformative actions in conservation, innovation, financing, and integration of nature in global policies. At the same time, at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden we also play an active role: conserving species in living collections, researching to provide scientific knowledge and promoting dissemination, helping to reduce the Plant Awareness Disparity (PAD), that is, the tendency not to notice the plants around us. Each species we know and protect is one more step to ensure the survival of biodiversity.

In short, while decisions are being made in the world that will mark the future of nature, at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden we have the opportunity to act locally: conserving, observing and disseminating the plant world. These plants remind us that biodiversity is not just an abstract concept: it is alive, fragile and wonderful, and it depends on us to recognize it and take care of it every day.

Josep A. Rosselló, new scientific director of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden

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The Marimurtra Botanical Garden, a botanical landmark on the Costa Brava, has appointed the doctor in Biology Josep A. Rosselló as its new scientific director. His mission will be to guide the scientific activities of the garden, review specialized texts, provide orientation for research projects, and set the guidelines for the new Collection Plan.

During the presentation event, Rosselló introduced the main axes of this plan, which will define which living plants in Marimurtra will be highlighted, which will be consolidated, and which will need to be restructured. One of the most important goals is to increase the presence of singular species, thus strengthening the garden’s identity and scientific value.

Born in Mallorca in 1961, Josep Antoni Rosselló is Professor of Botany at the University of Valencia and author of more than one hundred scientific articles published in international journals indexed in the Science Citation Index (SCI). He has also published in the prestigious Nature a study on the genome of a gymnosperm. His career includes experience in institutions such as the Royal Botanical Garden of Córdoba, the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, and the Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia. In addition, he had already served as scientific director of Marimurtra between 2008 and 2014.

With this appointment, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden reinforces its vocation to be a space where science, nature, and botanical dissemination advance together to offer a living and inspiring heritage to all its visitors. 

The Living Plant Collection Plan is now available online: https://marimurtra.cat/pla-colleccio/

 

Marimurtra participates in the XVII Congress of the AIMJB

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From 14 to 18 May 2024, the XVII Congress of the Ibero-Macaronese Association of Botanical Gardens (AIMJB) took place at the Torretes Biological Station – Botanical Garden of the University of Alicante (UA), and the CIBIO Research Institute, in Alicante and Ibi. The congress focused on “Living collections: reservoir of genes and traditional knowledge related to Biodiversity”.
During these five days, several sessions related to the management of living collections, historical and popular gardens, botanical garden networks, ethnobotany, biodiversity and sustainability, education and dissemination, as well as knowledge transfer were held.

Pere Fraga, chief scientist of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, offered two significant conferences: “The use of extracts as an alternative to chemical phytosanitary products in a botanical garden” and “Living plant collections and their importance in botanical garden management: practical case at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden”, providing perspectives on strategies to mitigate the environmental impact in the management of botanical gardens and highlighting the relevance of living collections in this management.

Anna Sans, head of scientific outreach at Marimurtra, presented the conference “Bringing botany closer and promoting scientific vocations to the Marimurtra Botanical Garden”, where she shared strategies to bring botany closer to the general public and foster interest in science.
In addition, all attendees enjoyed an enriching guided tour of the Torretes Botanical Garden, in Ibi, led by Segundo Ríos, a prominent expert in botany, and visited the Biodiversity Museum, thus complementing the content of the congress with practical experiences.
The event was an excellent opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the management and conservation of botanical gardens, as well as for the generation of collaborative proposals and projects, strengthening networks between the various botanical gardens in the Ibero-Macaronesian region.

The Ibero-Macaronesian Association of Botanical Gardens (AIMJB) was established in 1985 by different Spanish and Portuguese institutions related to the aims and objectives of a botanical garden. Among them, the promotion of Botanical Gardens as centres for the conservation of biodiversity, environmental education, research, culture and heritage; as well as their dissemination in society stand out. This philosophy is completely linked to the statutes of the Carl Faust Foundation, manager of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden and member of the AIMJB, whose main objective is the protection and promotion of studies of Mediterranean biology, especially in botany, […] seeking international cooperation and relations for the benefit, all in all, of scientific research and dissemination. It is for this reason that Marimurtra’s participation in these congresses adds a lot of value to its work, as well as the enrichment of knowledge so that we can all move forward in the same direction.

 

The Marimurtra Botanical Garden in Blanes trains professionals in the world of plants with the Technical days

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This Friday, April 12, there will be a training session on organic gardens and their management

The Jardí Botànic Marimurtra de Blanes organizes a set of conceptually linked training sessions aimed at the specialized sector of gardening, botany and the world of plants.

The next day, this Friday, April 12, is about how local intensive agriculture has been adapting its crops and its management towards a sustainable form. With the interest of deepening the management of the diversity of short-cycle crops, the treatments of the main pests as well as the different techniques for maintaining soil fertility.

To complement the day, we will talk about the importance of preserving the cultivation of local garden varieties and how these enrich the biodiversity of the gardens. Finally, there will be a tasting of recipes made with local products from the day’s farmers, prepared by culinary experts Montse Verdaguer and Júlia Navarro from www.kilometre0.cat

The training will include presentations by three experts in the field; Jordi Puig Roca, Miquel Riera and Cristina Pozo Vives.

  • Jordi Puig Roca, researcher in agrobiodiversity, specialist in cultivated biodiversity and organic garden producer, will explain the importance of cultivated biodiversity in a context of climate crisis.
  • Miquel Riera, head of the Horta Ecològica Pla de Munt, will offer his experiences of a transition towards organic agriculture.
  • Cristina Pozo Vives, agricultural technical engineer at ADV Santa Susanna and Hortalisses Carbó, will report on different ecological strategies for a more sustainable agriculture.

Attendees will be able to put into practice on the land of Marimurtra all the knowledge acquired during the technical days.

Friday’s session will be the second of the five technical sessions planned for this edition:

  • March 15, How to achieve maximum efficiency of an irrigation system by minimizing water consumption, with Julio César Grandal.
  • April 12, Garden day with Jordi Puig, Miquel Riera and Cristina Pozo.
  • April 26, What is the food web and what role does it play in the garden? with Quim Zaldo.
  • May 10, Management and maintenance of the arboretum and the palmetum of the Botanical Garden of Valencia, with José Plumed.
  • May 31, How can we promote ecosystem regeneration through soil microbiology?, with Quim Zaldo.

The aim of the conference is to offer them expert knowledge, update workers in the sector and make them aware of the importance of biological conservation, a task that is carried out in the Garden following the vision of its founder, Carl Faust.

More information on the technical days and tickets on the website https://marimurtra.cat/jornades-tecniques-de-marimurtra/

Jornades Tècniques Marimurtra 2024

Marimurtra Botanical Garden publishes Index Seminum 2023-2024 with 185 botanical taxa

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The Index Seminum is a catalog that contains the available seeds. The one in Marimurtra, this year has 185 botanical taxa included in 53 families. As a novelty, this year highlights the presence of 32 traditional horticultural varieties (tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins…), most of them from Catalonia, the result of the research, conservation and dissemination objectives of the Botanical Garden.

This catalog is a network of connections between botanical gardens around the world, where research centers and universities are also linked. The objective of Index Seminum is to facilitate the free exchange of seeds between these centers to facilitate the conservation and study of plant species.
During 2023, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden published the Index Seminum with 175 taxa and 60 families, having made 33 shipments to 21 botanical gardens or research centers in 16 different countries, adding up a total of 290 batches of seeds.

Requests can be made through the form that can be found on the website https://marimurtra.cat/index-seminum/, as well as consulting all the taxa and details of the Index Seminum del Jardín. Applications are accepted until April 30, 2024.

The Carl Faust Foundation was created in 1951 by the creator of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, Carl Faust, with the aim of continuing his work. Among its founding objectives are “…the protection and promotion of Mediterranean biology studies, especially in botany […] seeking cooperation and international relations for the benefit, all of this, of scientific research and dissemination .. .”.

2023 report on the monitoring of birds in the Marimurtra Botanical Garden

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The report made by the environmental consultant Pere Alzina i Bilbeny in 2023 on the ornithological monitoring in the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, in Blanes, presents detailed data on the species of birds that inhabit or visit this natural space. With an area of 16 hectares and a location between the Mediterranean Sea, forests and urban areas, the botanical garden is home to a rich variety of birds.

During the four visits carried out throughout the year 2023, a total of 35 species of birds were identified, with a special emphasis on nesting species. Several categories of nesting probability have been recorded, ranging from possible to certain, including species such as the Great-breasted Tern, the Black-breasted Tern and the Heron.

The document highlights the presence of 30 species that show signs of reproduction, among which the blue tern, the tudon and the crayfish stand out. The importance of protecting the environment and the species present is highlighted, with the aim of maintaining biological diversity.

In addition, Pere underlines Marimurtra’s involvement in environmentally sustainable practices, such as the cessation of the use of biocides and chemical fertilizers, and actions to promote ornithological fauna and their habitats.

This report contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics and richness of the ancestral fauna of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, highlighting its importance as a space for conservation and scientific research in the context of international botanical gardens.

Download here the complete report on bird monitoring in the Marimurtra Botanical Garden 2023 by Pere Alzina.

The Marimurtra Botanical Garden has carried out the fertilization of the Encephalartos natalensis

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On Sunday, December 14th, there was an exceptional event in Marimurtra: the fertilization of the two female cones of Encephalartos natalensis. The history of cicadas goes back more than 200 million years, they are prehistoric plants and in fact, they coexisted with dinosaurs. Specifically, the species Encephalartos natalensis belongs to the Zamiaceae family and forms a fundamental part of the garden’s botanical collection. The vast majority of leafhoppers are seriously threatened in their natural habitats, adding a crucial component to the importance of this event, for its significance in terms of plant conservation.

The specimen of Encephalartos natalensis from Marimurtra is female and has produced two cones, the reproductive structures of these prehistoric gymnosperms. One of the cones has been fertilized with Encephalartos longifolius pollen, thanks to the collaboration of cicada expert Simon Lavaud from France. Simultaneously, the other cone has been fertilized with pollen from Encephalartos horridus, a species belonging to the Marimurtra Botanical Garden.
The pollination technique, carried out dry without the use of water, closely emulates natural conditions. Using an air bulb, the precise introduction of pollen into the cones has been achieved, a practice that mimics how this fertilization would happen in the wild, thanks to the role of insects.

The prospect of developing two hybrids from this fertilization is exciting, although it will take almost a year and a half to determine the success of this initiative. The scales of the cones close after allowing pollination, protecting the ovules inside as they mature into seeds. In approximately 6 months, they will have done so and will be collected. Another six to eight months of waiting will still be required before they can be sown and their viability checked, anticipating a promising spring of 2025 to know the fate of these unique hybrids.

The Nomad Blackboards Project, Marimurtra’s mobile blackboards

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Welcome to “The Nomad Blackboards Project” at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden—an innovative initiative aimed at highlighting specific aspects of the Garden through the lens of science. This scientific outreach project allows for the dissemination of certain species, botanical concepts, notable specimens, or prominent locations within Marimurtra in an educational manner, using a flexible format.

“The Nomad Blackboards Project” consists of placing boards with significant content along the Garden, starting with a few boards and the plan to increase their number over time. We seek to integrate scientific knowledge with the natural beauty that surrounds us, without excessively altering the visual aspect of the Garden, offering a captivating experience for visitors.

The specific objectives of the project are to facilitate scientific education, highlight the importance of biodiversity, foster curiosity, and forge meaningful connections between visitors and the natural world. This initiative uses a flexible system that allows for periodic updates and content renewal, ensuring that the project remains dynamic, fresh, and relevant over time.

Each blackboard features a QR code—an interactive gateway to additional online information. By scanning the QR code, you’ll access supplemental knowledge, deepening your understanding of the scientific marvels and natural beauty that surround you.

Explore our online content to find not only more information but also, in some cases, scientific studies conducted on the highlighted topics. Join us on this scientific exploration as we use blackboards to present valuable information, share research findings, and create connections between the enchanting world of the Botanical Garden and the fascinating realms of science.

This project has been undertaken in collaboration with European volunteers, enriching the educational experience not only for our visitors but also for the volunteers themselves. Their dedication and contribution have played a vital role in bringing this project to life, fostering a vibrant exchange of ideas and perspectives. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to these volunteers, whose involvement has added a layer of depth and diversity to “The Nomad Blackboard Project.”