The Marimurtra Botanical Garden experienced a very special day with the closing event of its centenary, a commemorative year that has filled the Garden with cultural, educational and scientific activities aimed at audiences of all ages, both inside and outside the grounds.
The institutional event brought together political authorities, members of the Board of Trustees of the Carl Faust Foundation, staff and people connected to Marimurtra, and included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque on the façade of Carl Faust’s former house. The different speeches highlighted the figure of the Garden’s founder and the continuity of his legacy over one hundred years.
The Mayor of Blanes, Jordi Hernández, expressed the pride that hosting the Marimurtra Botanical Garden represents for the municipality, while the deputy of the Girona Provincial Council, Natàlia Figueras, highlighted its heritage, scientific, educational and cultural dimensions. The President of the Government of Catalonia, Quim Torra, recalled his personal connection with Marimurtra, and the Secretary for Ecological Transition, Jordi Sargatal, underlined the good state of conservation of the Garden and its work in preserving plant species. For his part, the President of the Carl Faust Foundation, Cristòfol Jordà, reaffirmed the intention for Marimurtra to continue being a welcoming place for learning and botanical research, also announcing the intention to make Carl Faust’s house accessible to visitors.
Coinciding with this closing day, the first issue of the Marimurtra Journal was presented, an annual 20-page publication that gathers the Garden’s activity during the 2024–2025 period. The journal includes scientific projects, outreach actions, educational activities, conservation initiatives and a record of the centenary. The first issue can already be consulted online at marimurtra.cat/diari.
Closing of the Gardening Workshops for older adults
The day also coincided with the closing of the first edition of the gardening and vegetable garden workshops for older adults, an initiative that for four months has turned Marimurtra into a space for meeting, learning and social interaction. The programme was fully booked and involved the participation of 80 people distributed across four groups, with a total of 16 sessions.
The workshops, promoted by the Carl Faust Foundation with the collaboration of the “la Caixa” Foundation, aimed to encourage mobility, socialisation and emotional wellbeing among older people in Blanes through contact with plants and outdoor activity. The sessions were led by Anna Colomer, from deBosc, and took place entirely at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden.
With this event, Marimurtra brings to a close a year of celebrating its centenary while looking towards the future, reaffirming its commitment to botany, outreach, conservation and social ties with the territory.
