Important visit to the United States of America

On June 10-23, Director of Batumi Botanical Garden Mr. Irakli Archaia and head of Local Flora and Conservation Department Mr. Davit Kharazishvili paid an official visit to Harvard University Arboretum in Boston (USA) by the invitation of the Director of the University Mr. Stephen Schneider.

Within the frame of the visit, introduction with management principles of Harvard University Arboretum (Boston) and Longwood Botanical Garden (Philadelphia), review of mutual exchange programs, receiving knowledge on conservation and educational programs and holding discussion on future ideas was planned.

With the support of Arboretum Administration, an additional visit was planned to Harvard University (Cambridge), Moris Arboretum, Chanticleer Botanical Garden (Philadelphia), New York Botanical Garden (New York City), Washington National Arboretum and Botanical Garden (Washington), as well as field trips to New Hampshire Mountain in Washington (1917 m.) and Brook Stone Protected Area.

The representatives of the garden got introduced with Herbarium Foundation at Harvard University (Cambridge), being in the list of world leading Herbaria and keeps up to 6 million leaves, out of which 4 million being the representatives of highest plants, whereas 2 million – being the representatives of the lowest plants. One of the libraries functioning at Harvard University was also visited, being enabled to get introduced with management principles of the Arboretum, plant collections and herbarium foundation, conservation and educational programs.

Garden representatives also visited Moris Arboretum, Chanticleer Botanical Garden (Philadelphia), New York Botanical Garden (New York), Washington National Arboretum and Botanical Garden (Washington City); participated in the field trip on Brook Stone protected areas and also visited New Hampshire Mountain in Washington (1917 m.).

Together with received knowledge and novelties, a significant agreement was achieved, which considers short-term exchange programs between Batumi Botanical Garden and Arnold Arboretum, introduction with various types of electronic bases and introduction at Batumi Botanical Garden in the future, strengthening of the relations in scientific as well as in agronomic direction.

It is also noteworthy that the invitation was preceded by the visits of Director of the University Mr. Stephen Schneider to Georgia and in particular Batumi Botanical garden on June 20-23, 2016 and September 27-October 9 period, during which together with the Garden specialists field expeditions were organized for collecting the seeds of the local flora species and herbarium samples in Ajara, Samegrelo, Guria, Imereti, Kartli, Mtiuleti, Khevsureti and Gare Kakheti regions. In the same period, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between Batumi Botanical Garden and Harvard University Arboretum upon biodiversity and conservation of Georgian plants and their Northern-American species.