Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden teams up with Windhoek NBRI

The relationship between the Karoo Desert NBG in Worcester and SABONET began in July 1998 when Dr. Daan Botha, John Winter and Ian Oliver first visited the National Botanical Research Institute NBRI in Windhoek. Then, Chris Willis was still the regional co-ordinator (today Dr Willis is Director: Gardens and Horticultural Services and based in Pretoria).

Early on, the Karoo Desert NBG was twinned with the NBRI in Windhoek. Climatically, both gardens lend themselves to growing and cultivating arid-zone plants. Both gardens are geographically situated relatively close to areas rich in arid-zone plants.

Over the years, the relationship between the two gardens and SABONET has grown. Long lasting friendships have been formed and, most importantly, the transfer of information, especially between the Karoo Desert NBG and the Windhoek NBRI, has been invaluable. Along the way, all concerned have had a tremendous amount of fun.

The involvement and activities shared between the Karoo Desert NBG, Windhoek NBRI and SABONET are listed below:

Table 1

DATE	ACTIVITY	LOCATION
July 1998	First visit to the NBRI Windhoek.	Windhoek, Namibia
October 1999	Visit by Henk Dauth, horticulturist, to learn about cultivation of succulents (the start of internship training).	Karoo Desert NBG
April 2000	Visit by Ian Oliver to Free State NBG where our friends from Katse Botanic Garden, Lesotho receive some internship training.	Free State NBG - Bloemfontein
October 2000	Visit by Ian Oliver to NBRI Windhoek for 14 days for internship training in collecting, succulent cultivation, plant recording, layout of the desert house, etc.	Windhoek - Namibia
March 2001	Southern African Botanical Gardens Workshop.	Pretoria
October 2001	SABONET Botanical Gardens Management Course. Ian Oliver & Andrew Hankey lecture on Plant Collecting Techniques.	Nylsvlei Nature Reserve
April 2002	SABONET Internship programme. Ian Oliver & Andrew Hankey lecture on Plant Collecting Techniques.	Durban Botanical Garden
November 2002	African Botanical Garden Congress. Present workshop on Plant Collecting Techniques.	Durban Botanical Garden
March 2003	Transfer of USD 3,000.00 by SABONET for garden’s threatened plant project.	Worcester
May 2003	Internship training for the NBRI Windhoek team.	Worcester
October 2003	Brief visit to NBRI Windhoek to see progress.	Windhoek Namibia

 The SABONET project was a tremendous success, right from its humble beginnings through to the end. All those who participated in the SABONET activities are certainly much richer for the knowledge and experience gained and, above all, for the long-lasting friendships formed.

A strong bond has been established between the Karoo Desert NBG and the NBRI in Windhoek. I am sure that, even without SABONET, this partnership between the two gardens will continue for many more years.

—Ian Oliver

SABONET News 9.1: 40