Palestine Conservation Garden

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Palestinian Territory, Occupied - Bethlehem

Institution Code:

BGCI Member: Yes

View of part of garden and rain collecting water pond (ecosystem) from top of the Palestine Museum of Natural History
View of part of garden and rain collecting water pond (ecosystem) from top of the Palestine Museum of Natural History

About the Palestine Conservation Garden

One year after the founding of the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (see palestinenature.org), we were given a green light by Bethlehem University to begin developing a botanic garden on the 12-dunum Mar Andrea campus site which had mixed agriculture (olive trees, almond, fig, citrus, pine) and natural landscape. In developing the site we believed in two principles: permaculture and that it has to help societal transformation. In permaculture we kept the garden unchanged for two years to study at least two seasons of plants to make sure we do not do anything to disturb the many interesting and rare local species (e.g. orchids, star of Bethlehem). The botanic garden provides the opportunity for in-situ and ex-situ conservation of endangered and rare plants, as well as a very lively education on plant biology, taxonomy, protection and importance and various research topics. A preliminary botanical survey showed we have >388 species of plants on site. A briefing on PIBS is found in this short video https://youtu.be/BPhFLOsEIM0 and a tour of the Garden can be found here: https://youtu.be/7cBil5ahC6o. The website http://palestinenature.org

Main Address:
Palestine Conservation Garden
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Bethlehem University Mar Andrea Campus
Bethlehem
Palestinian Territory, Occupied

Telephone: +970-2-2773553
Fax: +970-2-2773553
URL: https://www.palestinenature.org
Primary Email: info@palestinenature.org

Staff Details

  • Director's Name: Mazin Qumsiyeh
    Curator's Name:
    Plant Records Officer's Name:
  • Total Staff:
    Horticultural Staff Number:
    Educational Staff Number: 1
    Research Staff Number:
    Administration Staff Number: 1

About the Garden

  • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
  • Status
  • Status: Private: No
    Status: State: No
    Status: Educational: Yes
    Status: Municipal: No
    Status: Satellite: No
    Status: Trust: No
  • Date founded: 2015
  • Physical Data
  • Natural Vegetation Area: Yes
  • Landscaped Area: Yes
  • Total Area: 1 Hectares
    Latitude: 31.7159535
    Longitude: 35.2013781
    Annual Rainfall: 700 mm
    Altitude: 550.00 Metres
    Total area of shadehouses: 200 Metres
  • Locality: Information
  • Locality: Garden Name: متحف فلسطين للتاريخ الطبيعي
  • Local Address: Jamiya Antoniya Street (Mar Andrea campus of Bethlehem University)
  • Locality: City: Bethlehem
  • Locality: State: Bethlehem

Features and Facilities

  • Herbarium: Yes
    Herbarium: Number of Specimens: 400
    Arboretum: No
  • Micropropagation/ Tissue Culture Facilities: No
    Seed Bank: Yes
    Published Plant Catalogue: No
    Computer Plant Record System: No
  • Open to public: Yes
    Friends society: No
    Retail Outlet: Shop: No
    Retail Outlet: Plant Sales: No
    Disabled access: No
  • Number of Visitors: 5000
    Number of Volunteers: 78

Plant Collections

  • Accession Number: 384
    Cultivation Taxa Num: 50
  • Special Collections:The garden now has 384 species of wild plants (list at https://bit.ly/3FtcCIL ). For the orchids, 11 species are successfully growing in the garden (both ex situ and in situ conservation). We also developed the Herbarium collection.
  • Invasive Species Monitoring: Yes
    Invasive Species Policy: No
    ABS Policy: No
    Plant Collection Policy: No

Conservation Programmes

  • Conservation Programme: Yes
    Medicinal Plant Programme: Yes
    Ex Situ Conservation Programme: Yes
    Reintroduction Programme: No

Research Programmes

  • Biotechnology: Yes
    Plant Breeding: No
    Conservation - Biology: Yes
    Conservation - Genetics: Yes
    Data Management Systems and Information Technology: Yes
    Ecology: Yes
    Ecosystem Conservation: Yes
    Education: Yes
    Ethnobotany: Yes
    Exploration: Yes
    Floristics: Yes
    Horticulture: Yes
    Invasive Species Biology and Control: Yes
    Molecular Genetics: Yes
    Pollination Biology: No
    Restoration Ecology: No
    Seed/Spore Biology: No
    Systematics and Taxonomy: Yes
    Sustainability: No
    Pharmacology: No
    Agriculture: Yes
    Land Restoration: Yes
    Urban Environments: Yes

Education Programmes

  • Visitor/Education Centre: No
    Education Signs in Garden: Yes
    Public Lectures/Talks: Yes
    Education Booklets/Leaflets: Yes
    Guided Tours: Yes
    Permanent Public Displays: Yes
    Special Exhibitions: No
    Courses for School Children: Yes
    Courses for University/College Students: Yes
    Courses for General Public: Yes
    Education Programme: Yes