Interpretation Centre
Cultural, educational and research activities
Zugdidi Botanical Garden periodically hosts various cultural, educational and research activities. Of particular note is the training seminar course held last year, which aimed at raising awareness among students for the school's eco-clubs on the following issues:
- The importance of botanical gardens,
- A brief history of the Zugdidi Botanical Garden, and
- The principles of arranging an ethnobotanical corner. In order to ensure maximum public engagement in the process of restoring the alley of Colchis boxwood (Buxus colchica) a three-day masterclass of boxwood cuttings was held in Zugdidi Botanical Garden.
Together with the world's leading universities and research organizations, Zugdidi Botanical Garden participated in the World Experiment of Oaks, initiated by the University of Granada/ Spain (Comparison of growth intensity of locally propagated oaks in open and closed ground, summarizing and sharing results), in the framework of which the seeds of Imereti oak (Quercus robur subsp. Imeretina) common in western Georgia were collected, processed and planted in open and closed ground in the garden area with the involvement of students from Ilia State University and Agrarian Universities.
On the basis of a letter of permission from the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, a Colchian dendrium for scientific-educational purposes is being arranged with seedlings obtained in the wild. Workshops on environmental issues, the importance of biodiversity and ex situ conservation of plants are held periodically. The establishment of a local flora herbarium fund for scientific-educational purposes has started in the garden. Which involves local scientific expeditions in various types of ecosystems typical of the Caucasus (semi-desert, arid forest, field, water, summer green deciduous forests, mixed forest, alpine and subalpine meadows), plant collection, drying, morphological-systematic examination and labeling.
In cooperation with Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi Botanical Gardens, Zugdidi Botanical Garden monitors the spread of pests and diseases of local oaks and the effectiveness of measures to combat them.
Zugdidi Botanical Garden has signed memoranda of scientific and educational cooperation between Shota Meskhia Zugdidi State Teaching University and Ilia State University.
