Botanical |
Page 3 of 4 Chicago, IllinoisThe 385-acre Garden features 23 display gardens and three native habitats, uniquely situated on nine islands surrounded by lakes. Since 1984, Garden curators and scientists have made plant collecting trips to the Republic of Georgia, Russia, South Korea, China, England and Wales, Hungary, Japan, Germany, the lower Piedmont area of the southeastern United States, southern Illinois and local areas to acquire optimal germplasm. Seeds and plants are accepted only if their provenance is known and documented and only if they have been collected and imported legally. Plants that have the potential for invasiveness, genetic pollution or introducing pests or diseases are carefully screened or evaluated by the Plant Evaluation Program before acceptance. Chicago Botanic Garden http://www.chicagobotanic.org/ 847-835-5440 Kazakhstan/Tien Shan MountainsA 13-day holiday in the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan in search of alpine plants. Although Kazakhstan is still largely unknown to Westerners, it is the ninth largest country in the world and, since gaining independence from Russia, has become a most exciting new frontier for travel, particularly for botanical and ornithological exploration. The Tien Shan Mountains, our focus of attention on this tour, is the Central Asian extension of the Great Himalaya, and extends along Kazakhstan’s southern border all the way to China. We begin our holiday with a flight from London to Almaty. After a day in the city we travel by rail and road to the village of Aksu Dzabagly. By early evening we arrive at our comfortable guesthouse to be welcomed by our hosts. In order to explore the area as widely as possible during the following days, we will have the use of 4WD buses, but will travel primarily on foot (although, for those happy to ride at times, ponies will gladly be provided). Nature Trek http://www.naturetrek.co.uk/wildlife-holidays-in-asia/detailsdb.asp?ID=58 01962 733051 Sat 21st June - Thu 3rd July 2008 Costa RicaThe Robert and Catherine Wilson Botanical Garden is an internationally recognized collection of tropical plants from around the world. Aroids, bromeliads, ferns, gingers, heliconias, marantas and palms are broadly represented on the 10 hectare (30-acre) site. Tropical fruits, trees, shrubs and bamboos also add to the expanse of this valuable plant museum. Over 1,000 genera in more than 200 plant families form the unique collection that is part of the 266 hectare (657- acre) Las Cruces Biological Station. The garden and biological station are extremely rich in native plants and animals, including 320 species of birds, 800 species of butterflies, abundant mammals and an impressive diversity of reptiles and amphibians. Over 5,000 species of plants have been planted and are cultivated throughout the garden, while an additional 2,000 species have been introduced by other means such as animals and birds. The Wilson Garden boasts the second largest collection of palms in the world. Botanical Garden Excursions, S.A. http://www.crbgtours.com/index.html 011 506-777-5149 |