Durban Botanic Gardens

The Durban Botanic Gardens gets CLIMATE SMART

Garden Window Project: The vibrant strategic future of the Durban
Botanic Gardens, Africa's oldest surviving botanic garden, as we explore
a range of people and plant projects and programmes, promote the
value of ecological literacy and environmental reliance and implement
the 2020 plan for the Gardens that encapsulates work in biodiversity,
education, heritage, research and horticultural excellence...the garden
lifestyle is essence meant to be a more environmentally responsible
lifestyle given that gardens represent our relationship with Nature.

Grassland garden: Given the major threat to grassland ecosystems,
we have developed a new grassland garden at the top of the Botanic
Gardens that will serve as a resource as part of our education
programmes, and promote the value of using indigenous grasses and
other grassland plants in the horticultural industry.

Renewable energy: Project 90 x 2030 has selected the Durban Botanic
Gardens as one their national renewable energy demonstration sites.
The two large solar panels track with the movement of the sun and
have been installed at the Visitors Complex. The panels will supplement
the power to our Visitors complex and help us to promote ideas around
ecological literacy, biomimicry and renewables. Certainly a WOW project
for the Gardens. http://ecobuzz.co.za/videos/the-solar-connection/

Permaculture centre and food garden network: Our permaculture
garden and centre has been operational for several years now and
trained a range of people interested in food gardens. We have developed
a training and working garden that functions as an interpretive space to
explore the idea of a cultivated ecosystem and how this links to ideas
around environmental resilience. Realising the gardens and gardeners
cannot exist successfully in isolation, the Gardens together with Bev
Ainslie, a local environmental skills trainer and adult educationalist
developed the Food Gardens Network that aims to bring together
local communities of food gardeners and develop regular vibrant
spaces where people will eventually be able to walk to their nearest
permaculture garden, meet the grower, share ideas and create a culture
of 'growing your own' food.

Interpreting Biodiversity: Interpreting plant conservation issues is
the core part of our education and interpretation programmes at the
Durban Botanic Gardens. We have two small exhibits in the Gardens that
focus on explaining the concept of biodiversity, local implications and
leading to ideas for action. One big idea for us is Urban Biodiversity that
we would like to explore more fully in our other education programmes.

Water conservation project: Garden maintenance consumes a
large quantity of water. The Durban Botanic Gardens as a grade 1 city
landscape is no exception. Our plan is to be off potable water completely
by 2015 and utilising not just local water supplies in the form of ground
water but also harvesting rain water and reutilising greywater. The
opportunity also exists, working in partnership with a local irrigation
service provider, to showcase some of the latest technology in
water conservation that has application in the local horticultural and
landscape/irrigation industry. We are currently working with our City's
Water Department on this project.