2022 Ukraine Botanic Garden Appeal

Uzhhorod National University Botanical Garden

The mild climate, favorable geographical position and protection from northern winds create ideal conditions for introduced plants. The botanical garden is a research, educational and environmental institution and aims to preserve, study and enrich plant resources of local and world flora by creating new and replenishing existing botanical collections. The garden has 29 staff.

Collections at Uzhhorod Botanical Garden

The garden’s collections include plant taxa originating from several geographical regions, such as the Mediterranean, Caucasus, Crimean Peninsula, China, Japan, and North America. A prominent role is devoted to the collection of species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, including crocuses (Crocus heuffelianus and C. banaticus), narrow-leaved narcissus (Narcissus angustifolius), spring pheasant’s eye (Adonis vernalis), alpine aster (Aster alpinus), dogtooth violet (Erythronium dens-canis), spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum), edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), tussock bellflower (Campanula carpatica), European scopolia (Scopolia carniolica), and autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale). The Arboretum features a number of introduced woody plant taxa. 

September 2022: Update from Uzhhorod Botanical Garden

There is always a tour guide at the Botanic Garden who is ready to show the territory free of charge, tell about the local plants, pay attention to interesting details and answer numerous questions. Even with the start of a full-scale war, there are enough visitors here, says Dmytro Sojma, Director of the garden:
“We have never complained about the lack of visitors, but before it was mostly Transcarpathians and tourists. Now there is a large number of forced migrants in the city and region. We have already conducted many tours for children and adults from war zones. In addition, our student body will be replenished with entrants and immigrant students.

For example, on September 1, students of the 6th and 10th grades of the Uzhhorod Secondary School No. 6 took advantage of the Green Class.

Nataliya Hrytsyna, class teacher of the 10-B class, shares: “During our studies within the framework of the New Ukrainian School program, we were recommended to spend more time in the fresh air and gain new knowledge in communicating with nature. You can study various subjects in the midst of nature: the Ukrainian language, Literature, and Mathematics. For safety reasons, our school decided to hold the Knowledge Day in different locations of the city, and not directly in the classrooms. I offered to come with the students to the Botanical Garden of UzhNU. We listened to a short story about local plants and further dealt with organizational issues regarding the educational process in the Green Classroom.”

See article published in the Ukraine press.