Botanic gardens are not just a place to see pretty flowers, shrubs and trees.
They’re also sanctuaries for an increasing number of endangered plants – and are also a place of study for botanic
education.
The tenth anniversary of Botanic Gardens Week Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ) gets underway between May 19-25, and Noosa
Council in conjunction with the Friends of Noosa Botanic Gardens are celebrating.
The first event organised by the Friends of Noosa Botanic Gardens will be on Thursday, May 22 and will run from 8am until midday – and
you are invited.
“As part of this anniversary celebration the guides will be on hand to talk to visitors, hand out maps and take guided walks through the
gardens for plant lovers and botanists alike, highlighting ten species with extraordinary conservation stories, quirky traits, or geographical
significance,” said Friends president Jill Brownlee.
Each listed plant will be given a marker in the gardens for future visitors. For those who can’t make the Thursday event “we are
organising a special event on Sunday, May 25, where you can meet the garden’s Friends and take one of two guided walks, the first at
8.30am and the second at 10am”, Jill said.
“We have a role as guardians of species endemic to this region, to ensure their survival.
“As BGANZ Week coincides with Volunteers Week, it will also be a chance for those considering volunteering with the Friends to see
what we do here, and the joy, friendship and satisfaction it brings to our members.”
That Sunday will also see the famed Shade Garden opening from 8am to 1pm – and the Little Seed Theatre Company will be
performing Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Amphitheatre that afternoon.
The event underscores Noosa Botanic Gardens’ long-term future, too, as Noosa Council’s proposed Master Plan for the gardens gets
closer.
“Council will soon be presenting a consultant’s recommendation of the five-year plan for Noosa Botanic Gardens, upon which they are
calling for community consultation in June.” Jill said.
“The Botanic Gardens are a quite distinctly different creature from a typical council green space, and the community recognises that.”
“Just as importantly as the conservation role the gardens play is the environmental statement the gardens portray in eco-tourism
For more information, visit www.noosabotanicgardensfriends.com or the Facebook page of the same name. All events are weather
permitting.
