GARDEN NEWS

22 May 2011

                        20 YEARS A BOTANIC GARDEN

   The steps leading to the Eliott Monument in the 1800s

The Alameda Gardens were 195 years old in April 2011 and this month sees the 20th Anniversary of the commencement of the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens by Wildlife (Gibraltar) Ltd., under contract to the Government of Gibraltar.

The Gibraltar Botanic Gardens project commenced in 1991 following many years of abandonment, when the Government appointed Wildlife to take over the gardens, restore them, and convert them into a botanic garden.  At the helm of the project was Dr John Cortes, who was at the time General Manager of the Gibraltar Health Authority.  Having worked in the GHA for some years improving the facilities and structures within the health service, Dr Cortes, a qualified biologist, felt it was time to takckle on another challenge in a field in which he had specifically trained.  He has now been the Gardens' Director for a successful 20 years.

The condition of the Alameda Gardens at the time was appalling.  It was full of litter, with many dead or dying plants, collapsed walls and damaged paths, and with no plant collection of any value.  The Gardens were frequented by delinquents and avoided by the public, especially in the evenings.  Among the facilities that had fallen into acute disrepair were the Miniature Golf Course and the Alameda Open Air Theatre, which had not been used for years.

     The walk along Grand Parade in 1991

Initial works included fencing most of the perimeter and introducing an irrigation system, and gradually the appearance of the gardens improved, as did its plant collections.  With time it became a venue for school visits and projects, the local public returned, and the Alameda once again began to attract the attention of visitors and, for the first time, of the scientific botanical community, becoming part of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the Iberian-Macaronesian Association of Botanic Gardens, and developing links with other gardens and institutions, in particular the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

It has been a long, slow process, and much work remains to be done, but the achievements in this time have been substantial.

The Gardens are now known throughout the region and beyond.  They are visited by locals and tourists alike.  The collections of plants have been increased tremendously.  There are now more species of plants being grown in the Gardens than at any time in its history, with approximately 1800 species, compared to about 220 in 1991. This includes many species of Aloes, other succulent species, and a large collection of plants from Gibraltar and the Mediterranean.  Plant data are now held and managed in a digital database.

   Part of the impressive succulent collection

Notable botanical and conservation achievements have included the discovery of new species, of animals as well as plants, and the rediscovery and successful cultivation of Gibraltar’s unique Campion Silene tomentosa, a species that would most likely now be extinct were it not for the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens.   The Alameda now holds important collections on behalf of Kew and the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.  It has assisted Kew in building up its Mediterranean collection and exhibits, with an increasing number of plants now planted out in Kew having been sourced through collaboration between the two entities, and many from Gibraltar itself.  The Alameda now holds an extensive living collection of plants from the Mediterranean region, and is improving areas of the garden as habitat for wildlife, with notable successes in the establishment in the past few years of both Tawny Owls and Spotted Flycatchers as nesting species in Gibraltar.  Its insistence on keeping the use of pesticides and herbicides to a minimum ensures a healthy wildlife at the gardens.

Throughout this time there has been a dynamic collaboration between the Gardens and GONHS (The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society), which has resulted in a great deal of conservation and scientific work, not least in respect of cataloguing invertebrate species, again leading to important discoveries.  Work has extended beyond our borders too, notably into Spain and Morocco.  More recently there has been collaboration on a joint herbarium project with the Gibraltar Museum.

The care afforded to plants has also improved, with recent great strides having been made in tree management and in propagation.

The Gardens have also converted the old miniature golf course into an animal conservation park, having rescued numbers of species, including monkeys and parrots, from the illegal pet trade, and now developing further into facilities for captive breeding and as a venue for educational work, with much already taking place.

    An educational session in the Wildlife Park 

In 1994 the Alameda Open Air Theatre was restored and quickly established as the most scenic and popular venue for stage productions in the summer, a status it retains to this day.  The Theatre has seen numerous events, including regular stagings of the Miss Gibraltar Pageant and the crowning of a future Miss World, musicals such as Arrow – the Legend of Robin Hood, Jesus Christ Superstar and Oliver, and countless dance productions, beauty contests, concerts, weddings and receptions, and charitable events.  In fact most of Gibraltar’s youth involved in the performing arts now have fond memories of the Alameda Open Air Theatre.

   The Open Air Theatre ready for action

The Gardens pride themselves in their support of young people, and hundreds of school children have been guided through the Gardens and Animal Park as part of their schooling.  Wildlife has since the outset been involved in providing opportunities for less able young people, in keeping with its philosophy of using the privilege of working on this site to provide more than what is required by its contract with Government.

One of the educational highlights in the broader sense was the publication some years ago of the book The Flowers of Gibraltar.  Since then, articles and papers arising from work in the Gardens have appeared regularly in magazines and journals.

The staff of Wildlife (Gibraltar) Ltd, which back in 1991 consisted of just three people, now includes experienced home-trained gardeners, qualified horticulturists, one of the world’s foremost tree surgeons, craftsmen, a graduate in Theatre Technology, graduates and postgraduates in the Natural Sciences, members of professional institutes, and administrative personnel.

  Craftsman Abdelhamid Zouin restoring a gun carriage 

In addition, Wildlife (Gibraltar) has through the years provided technical advice to Government and other entities on ecological and landscaping matters.  It has contributed to landscape design in Gibraltar in recent years, including, for example, the much applauded Trafalgar interchange, to the use of native species in landscaping and gardening, and to assessing and protecting trees throughout Gibraltar.   Two years ago it acquired responsibility for the management of some aspects of the Upper Rock, which immediately resulted in the opening up and maintenance of the network of pathways, which were impassable until this time, and other work such as habitat management and the maintenance of Mediterranean Steps.

The management of the Gardens would like to publicly thank all those individuals and entities who, through the years, have contributed in any way to the successful development of the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens project.

There are many ideas still unfulfilled and many improvements still in mind, but Wildlife (Gibraltar) Ltd is very proud of the contribution it has made to the protection and enjoyment of plants and the natural environment over the past twenty years.

15 January 2011

NEW BEETLE NAMED AFTER GIBRALTARIAN SCIENTIST

A new species of weevil has been described as Torneuma bensusani, with Gibraltar as its type locality.  The weevil was described by Dr Peter Stüben of the Curculio Institute, the world authority on cryptorhynchine weevils of the Western Palaearctic, and named after Dr Keith Bensusan, a senior member of the Garden's scientific staff, responsible for Research & Collections, who is also head of the Invertebrate Section of the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natyuiral History Society (GONHS).  It was published in 'Weevil News', a journal of the Curculio Institute.  The article can be downloaded from: www.curci.de/news/news.php?btr=main.  

Keith found the first specimen of the species in Gibraltar with his colleague Charlie Perez. He then found several more in Ceuta (North Africa) whilst searching for subterranean ants with Rhian Guillem, before Peter Stüben visited Gibraltar and found an additional specimen.  

Peter Stüben had visited Gibraltar in August 2010 to sample some of the Rock's habitats for weevils.  This he did with Keith, Charlie and their friend and colleague Pepe Torres from La Linea, who are members of the Curculio Institute.  Part of the reason for Peter's visit had been to try and locate more specimens of the new species of weevil.

The finding of Torneuma bensusani from Gibraltar and Ceuta, at such a degree of geographical separation, is remarkable because the species is flightless, blind and subterranean!  In Gibraltar, the species has been found to coexist with the apparently more numerous Torneuma baeticum, a species only known previously from a single specimen collected from Sierra Bermeja, near Estepona.

In 2011 the Curculio Institute will begin a Europe-wide 'Molecular Weevil Identification project' in an effort to build a molecular and image database for all species of weevils in Europe (some 2500 species).  The project will include contributions of specimens from Gibraltar by Keith and Charlie of the GONHS Invertebrate Section.  Anyone interested in the Curculio Institute and its work can find more details at: www.curci.de

Although one species of plant (Silene gazulensis) has in the past had a Gibraltarian as an Authority, this is thought to be the first time that a living species has been discovered and named after a Gibraltarian.

Torneuma bensusani, a new species from Gibraltar                                 Peter Stüben

1 December 2010

JOHN LAVRANOS ADDS TO GARDEN'S COLLECTION

Botanic Garden Director Dr John Cortes with John Lavranos in the Algarve, Portugal

The collection of plants held at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens has been increased once again through a donation of material by John Lavranos, a plant expert of worldwide repute, considered one of the most prolific field workers on succulent plants of the 20th Century. 

John Lavranos, who has visited Gibraltar on several occasions, is widely travelled in the warmer regions of the world from where he has built up an impressive knowledge of plants, notably succulents. 

During a recent private visit to the Algarve in Portugal where John Lavranos is based, Botanic Garden Director John Cortes collected a number of rare and interesting species for the Alameda.  These included plants from Madagascar, South Africa, and the Yemen, among which was a well grown specimen of Frankincense Boswellia sacra. 

Further plants will be donated in the spring of 2011. 

The Botanic Gardens are extremely grateful to John Lavranos for his support and the confidence he has shown in depositing these important specimens in Gibraltar.

29 November 2010

KEW MAGAZINE CARRIES ARTICLE ON GIBRALTAR COLLABORATION

The assistance given to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew by the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens is highlighted in an article in the latest edition of Kew Magazine.  The article, by Tony Hall, who manages Kew’s Mediterranean garden, describes how he set about building up the collection of Mediterranean species, following his contact with Gibraltar’s Alameda Gardens.

Tony has been a regular visitor to Gibraltar over recent years, collecting seeds in Gibraltar and the surrounding area, and then taking them back to Kew where they have been propagated with tremendous success.  Many plants currently on outdoor display at Kew are derived from Gibraltar seeds, and there are many more in the greenhouses waiting to be planted out.

The article is beautifully illustrated with photographs of plants growing both in the wild and in the Royal Botanic Gardens, while the headline photograph is one of the Rock of Gibraltar.

Kew Magazine is seen by plant experts and garden lovers around the world and so the article will give Gibraltar a great deal of international exposure. 

26 November 2010

RED PALM WEEVIL:  GIBRALTAR BOTANIC GARDENS PLACES PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ADVICE ONLINE

Anyone driving to or from Gibraltar via Campamento will have noticed the large number of palms that are dead or dying in that area or, more recently, in adjacent areas of La Linea.  These casualties have been caused by the Red Palm Weevil, a beetle from tropical Asia that was introduced to Spain with imported Palms in the 1990s.

Gibraltar should remain vigilant for any palms showing signs of infection on the Rock, particularly those of us who have private gardens that include palm trees.  People should also be aware that palms may be infected for a considerable period before symptoms manifest themselves, and that preventative measures may be the best solution for their palms.

The Gibraltar Botanic Gardens has placed information on its website that deals with identification of infected palms and methods of control (see:  www.gibraltargardens.gi/RedPalmWeevil.php).  Any further queries on the Red Palm Weevil can be sent to: 

weevil@gibraltargardens.gi.  Please write 'Red Palm Weevil' as the subject heading.

26 October 2010                                                                         

MIDTERM AT THE

ALAMEDA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PARK

In this International Year of Biodiversity The Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park will be holding a number of workshops for children during next week’s midterm holiday.

These workshops will take place between 2pm and 4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Monday’s workshop will be on ‘Utterly Otterly Fun’ and will involve finding out about otters, join in feeding and enrichment of the enclosure, and make an otter holt for a toy otter.

On Tuesday the workshop title is ‘Bugliest Bugs’ where participants will be able to find our about insects and other small animals, and make a Bug Hotel – a home for creepy crawlies.

Thursday’s workshop will be a ‘Hive of Activity’, and will involve making a bee home, for bumblebees.

On Friday the theme will be the ‘Amazing Amazon’ with the resident tribe of Tamarins on an Amazonian rainforest Adventure.

These are some of the activities which the Botanic Gardens and the Wildlife Park hope will serve to further interest in and awareness of nature and wildlife among our young, making the Alameda Gardens more than just a garden.

There will be a small entrance fee which will go towards the animals.  To sign up or volunteer to help please call 54017449 or email jessica@gibraltargardens.gi

24 October 2010

BOO AT THE ZOO !!

This year there will be Halloween with a difference at the Alameda Gardens.

The Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park is organizing “Boo at the Zoo” on Friday 29th October from 7pm to 8.30pm.

This will give children an opportunity to visit the animals the Park in the Dark, and take part in activities such as ‘Spooky Tails”, ‘Bedtime with the Beasts’ and ‘Breakfast with the Bats’. 

There will be a small charge of £4 for adults and £3.50 for children.  There will also be a pumpkin carving competition, with free entry for one child with every pumpkin entered.

Attendance, which will be in fancy dress, will be by booking only, given the limits to the numbers that the Park can take.

30 September 2010

WILDLIFE PARK OPEN DAY

- new otter facility to open -

The Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park will be holding its annual Open Day to coincide with World Animal Day and EuroBirdwatch on Saturday 2nd October between 12 noon and 4pm (EuroBiordwatch events start at 8am at the George Don entrance).

Entrance is free, and there will be many activiities.  The new Short-clawed otter Facility will be officially opened at 1pm.

More details are available here.

16 September 2010

                                  THE PAPYRUS ROOM

                                  From Rags to Riches

Recently constructed in a contemporary style with a hint of the Far East, this site was initially completed recently, to provide a venue for events from November to March when the Dell is not available.

It has a covered area that can accommodate about 15 people so the couple and a few guests are sheltered from unexpected or indeed forecasted rain.  There is room for up to 15 more guests.

The roof has a mechanism similar to that of a shutter so one can open it and let the sun stream in, becoming an alternative setting for other seasons of the year.

The water feature at the southern end surrounded by Arum lilies is very seductive, the spill over the edge gives the Far Eastern touch.  In the same pond the graceful abundance of Papyrus Cyperus papyrus or Egyptian Paper Reed lends its name to this venue.

The four different coloured Bougainvillea (named after a French Admiral and Explorer, Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811)), together with the cerise wall which matches the colour of one of the stunning Bougainvillea make this spot most attractive.

A handsome specimen of an Indian laurel Ficus microcarpa at the northern end provides shade and grandeur.

The Papyrus Room is available for hire all year round.

Weddings £150.  Maximum number of guests 30.

Photos below:  The Papyrus Room before and after:

4 August 2010

Spanish Newspaper Article on Gardens

Today's edition of Europa Sur, a newspaper published in the neighbouring Spanish region of the Campo de Gibraltar, carries an article by Eva Reyes on the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens entitled 'A Botanical Jewel in Gibraltar'.

The article is most complimentary, and the online version can be seen here.

2 June 2010

Garden's Senior Citizen Passes Away

Joseph "Jimmy" Catania passed away in the early hours of 2 June 2010.  He was 85.  After a long career in the Fire Service, Jimmy became a volunteer gardener in the Gibraltar Health Authority looking after the garden of KGV Hospital and the patio of St. Bernard's Hospital.  This allowed him to work in an area that had been his love throughout his life. 

When the then Hospital Manager, now Botanic Garden Director, John Cortes, moved onto the the Botanic Garden project, it was logical that he should ask Jimmy to join him.  Jimmy had a deep knowledge of gardening and had performed wonders as a volunteer.  He therefore became the first ever gardener of the new Botanic Gardens and came to take personal responsibility for the gem of the Garden - the Dell.  On the date of his 80th birthday this area was dedicated to him. 

Jimmy continued working to the end, which is the way he was.

He was one of those irreplaceable personalities whose charm, cheerfulness, dedication and sense of humour would brighten your day, and make the knowing him an enriching experience in anyone's life.

Rest in Peace Jimmy, the Gardens will always remember you.

15 May 2010

Alameda Wildlife Park Open Day

for International Year of Biodiversity

The Alameda Wildlife Park in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens will be holding an Open Day to celebrate World Biodiversity Day on Saturday 22nd May from 12 noon to 4pm.

Apart from the viewing of the animals there will be activities for children including bouncy castle and treasure hunt, as well as talks by the keepers.

The Alameda Wildlife Park was set up about 12 years ago in order to house animals that had been seized by Customs from ships carrying them from tropical countries.  The animals – parrots and primates – had been taken illegally from the wild.  Return to the wild was impossible and efforts to take them out of Gibraltar failed, so that accommodation had to be built for them.  This was a great improvement from where they had been housed in the ships that transported them.

Since then further animals have been handed in as unwanted pets, and a few have been obtained to aid in captive breeding programmes.  None of the animals obtained for the Park were from the wild and all have been bred in captivity for generations.

The purpose of the Park, then, is to provide as best conditions as possible for the animals unfortunately taken from illegal trade, to prevent unwanted animals from being released into Gibraltar’s habitats where they would either perish or damage the local wildlife, and where possible to play a role in international conservation efforts.

Apart from the Open Day, there will be other activities at the Botanic Gardens, organized by the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society, including bird ringing and bird watching from 8am, a bird of prey display from 10 am and a tour of the Gardens at 11am.

12 March 2010

Queen's Scout Award for Matthew

Matthew Dignam has been working in the Gardens as a trainee under the Gibraltar Government Training Scheme since the end of last year.

Last month, at a ceremony held at the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned as part of the Scout Association's Founder's Day celebrations, he was presented with the prestigious Queen's Scout Award, the highest achievable award for young members of the Scout Movement.

Matthew, 18, a member of the 3rd Europa Scout Group, joined Scouts at the age of six.  Among the activities he undertook to achieve the Award were a years' voluntary service at Mount Alvernia Residence for the Elderly and a grueling expedition in northern Spain.

Congratulations go to Matthew on this achievement.

26 February 2010

Palm Tree Weevil Hits Gibraltar

A pest that has destroyed thousands of palm trees around the Mediterranean has now claimed its first casualty in Gibraltar.  The red palm weevil, a native of south-east Asia has been spreading down the Mediterranean coast of Spain over the past few years. 

A single adult palm weevil - a type of beetle - was found in the Rosia area last summer. Yesterday experts from the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens confirmed that the death of a palm Phoenix canariensis in the grounds of Sacred Heart School, whose staff had alerted the Department of the Environment to the presence of the tree, was the result of a heavy infestation of the beetles.   Two other palms in the grounds are also affected.  Steps are now being taken to remove and incinerate the dead palm and treat the other two trees. Sadly the fate of most palm trees of the genus Phoenix - which are the most common and picturesque found in Gibraltar - is probably sealed unless urgent action is taken. 

Some sites in Gibraltar owe much of their charm to palms or have tall, old specimens of great character.  These include Line Wall Promenade, the Mount, the Supreme Court, The Convent, Glacis, and Line Wall Synagogue. There are some treatments which are successful in saving infected palms, but preventative measures can be more effective.  What is certain is that treatment is more cost-effective than eventual removal due to death.  This is frequently highlighted in affected areas of Spain.

The Botanic Gardens commenced a programme of treatment of all the palms within the Alameda last year with a view to protecting all the ones within the Gardens.   This programme will continue and the Gardens' experts, as consultants to Government on trees, will continue to provide advice as required.

    The Red Palm Weevil  Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier,

     emerging from its pupal case                                                   K. Bensusan

19 February 2010

Parrots Stolen From Wildlife Park

Mr Feathers, an African Grey parrot that was

undergoing specialist treatment

There was a recent theft of five parrots from the Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park.  Thieves broke in during the night and managed to take a combination of African Grey and Timneh Grey Parrots from their enclosures.  Some of the parrots were expected to breed this year.

All the parrots were from the original two consignments in ships from Africa confiscated by Gibraltar Customs officials over ten years ago.  Some were in need of special care and on special diets and so it is unlikely that they will survive.

The Botanic Gardens management condemns this action, which will lead to suffering for the animals.  It comes at a time when the park is undergoing much development and improvement in both its animal care and its educational value.

The public is asked to co-operate and report sightings of grey parrots in any property where they have not seen them before.

18 January 2010

New Trees for Old

A programme has started this winter to replace the Pine Trees at the Botanic Gardens.   

     Old and new Stone Pines at the Alameda

The traditional look of the Alameda Gardens is predominantly that of a Mediterranean pine wood.  This is because, when the gardens were first laid out between 1814 and their opening in 1816, the Stone Pine was one of the main species used.

These pines have now matured into fine specimens, and provide the greater part of the canopy of the gardens, more so that the other main species, the Olives and Dragon Trees.

However, these trees are now about 200 years old and past their prime.  A number have been lost in recent years during winter storms, when their weight and the fact that they tend to tilt westwards towards the light have proved too much for them.  Others have lost branches. Stone Pines cannot resprout from cut branches and so these will tend to be permanently mutilated.

Because for a large part of their history there was little forward planning when it came to planting in the Alameda, there was in the past no scheme for gradual replacement of these fine pine trees.  This has resulted in the risk that, at the current rate, all the pines trees could be lost in the next ten to twenty years.

In order to retain the classical look of the Alameda, a programme of planting Stone Pines has commenced this winter, with six young trees being planted close to the bases of some of the oldest ones.  These will be cared for and should thrive, being ready to replace the existing ones as the giants of the Alameda pass slowly away.

Note:  The Stone Pine is the species that produces “piñones”, or pine nuts.  The wooded character of the Alameda that these trees provide serves to attract some species of birds, like Hoopoes on migration, or the Tawny Owl, which is now a resident in the Botanic Gardens. 

   A Tawny Owl at Jews' Gate, Gibraltar.         This species is now resident in the Gardens.                                                                             Photo Terry Cooper

12 December 2009

Alameda Theatre Beauty is Miss World!

      Kaiane Aldorino, now Miss World, just after her crowning in the Alameda

Open Air Theatre, with the Minister for Culture, the Hon Edwin Reyes,

and the other contestants       Photo: Luis Photos

On a warm summer's afternoon, on the 27th June 2009, a young Gibraltarian, Kaiane Aldorino, came into the Alameda Gardens to take part in a beauty pageant.  Hours later, she left as Miss Gibraltar 2009.  Weeks and months of work and rehearsals with Santos Productions  had resulted in a dream come true.

Truly the Alameda Open Air Theatre is a theatre of dreams.  Its unique setting and beauty are the ideal stage for a beauty pageant and for converting dreams into reality.

Little did Kaiane know that the dream was not over yet.

A little after six months following her first crowning, on another stage many hundreds of kilometres away in South Africa, she was crowned Miss World.  It was her proudest moment, and one of Gibraltar's proudest ever.

A beautiful young lady, with a natural, unassuming personality, who it was a pleasure to have around the Open Air Theatre last summer and who will do Gibraltar even prouder in the coming year.

Not many Botanic Gardens around the world can have the distinction of having had a future Miss World take the first steps there!

Congratulations, Kaiane.  Those of us in the Alameda Gardens who were so pleased to host you when you became Miss Gibraltar wish you every success and happiness.

Footnote:  Kaiane's success is resulting in publicity for the Open Air Theatre too, which is referred to in numerous on-line reports about Miss World, many of which carry links to our website. 

24 November 2009

Palm work commences

The Red Palm Weevil, a large beetle originating in the south-east Asia has now been seen in Gibraltar.  It arrived in eastern Spain with a consignment of palms some years ago and has been spreading steadily south along the Mediterranean coast killing palms as it goes, and changing many landscapes in urban planted areas, parks and gardens.

Once it takes hold it can be virtually impossible to save the palm tree.  It attacks mainly Canary Island Date Palms, of which there are very many in Gibraltar.  Weevils are already killing palms in Algeciras and the first one in Gibraltar was found near Rosia several months ago.

New methods are being developed to tackle this problem, and the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens is in contact with experts elsewhere in an attempt to pre-empt the destruction of our palms.

In the meantime, the palm trees within the Botanic Gardens are being tackled, by pruning and spraying with a strong pesticide, to try to ensure that at least within the Alameda the palm trees survive.

Involved in the palm rescue project are Jon Hammerton, formerly of Kew,, horticulturist Andrew Abrines and Felix Bandres, who recently attended a week-long training course in palm care in Spain.

Jon Hammerton at a Palm                         Felix Bandres on the training course

19 July 2009

Databasing of Moroccan Plants

underway at the Alameda

Apteranthes europaea from Morocco                                    K. Bensusan/GONHS

An initiative spearheaded by the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens has  received considerable coverage in botanical magazines.  Dr Keith  Bensusan of the Gardens' Research and Collections division is  coordinating an effort to database information on Moroccan succulent  plants that are kept in the collections of Botanic Gardens and  prominent private collectors.

Many habitats in Morocco are under threat due to degradation.  The  arid habitats of the country include an interesting variety of  succulent plants, including some species that are endemic (i.e., found  only in) Morocco.  Management of plants kept in collections is  important when these are rare in the wild and their native habitats  are threatened.  The Alameda specialises in succulent plants.   Furthermore, researchers at the Gardens have excellent links with  academic institutions in Morocco, developed as a result of their collaboration within the recently-completed Interreg IIIA Gibraltar-Morocco Programme run by the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society and the Scientific Institute of the University of Rabat-Agdal.  It is therefore ideally placed to  coordinate an effort to manage Moroccan plants and encourage research  and conservation in one of our neighbouring countries.

The aims of the scheme include:

•         to collate data on Moroccan succulent plants kept in collections
•         to establish a network of institutions and private collectors who  keep     collections of Moroccan succulents.
•         to encourage exchange of data and live plant material between members
•         to manage populations in cultivation so that genetic diversity and  rigour is maintained
•         to encourage publication of information relevant to the ecology,  biogeography, evolution and conservation of Moroccan succulents
•         to encourage liason with Moroccan scientific institutions to promote  research and conservation of Moroccan succulents in situ.

'El Botánico', the magazine of the Asociación Ibero-Macaronésica de  Jardines Botánicos (of which the Alameda is a member) includes an  article on the initiative, inviting other Botanic Gardens which hold  succulent plants from Morocco to join the network.  A similar  advertisement is included in the latest issue of the journal of the  International Asclepiad Society.  Morocco hosts a range of succulent  asclepiad plants, including some that are endemic.  Further articles  will appear on the subject in other magazines and journals, in due  course.

The initiative is still in its preparatory stages, but it has already  attract interest and participation from institutions and private  individuals, some of whom are authorities on Moroccan succulent flora.

Part of the article in "El Botanico"

13 July 2009

Birds give thumbs up to

Mediterranean woodland project

          Spotted Flycatcher - nesting successfully in the Gardens,

          a first for Gibraltar                                                Photo: C.Perez/GONHS

A project to create a Mediterranean woodland at the northern entrance to the Garden has been given the seal of approval by birds! 

The area north of the succulent beds, which stretches along the eastern edge of Grand Parade, has been gradually modified by selective planting over th past 18 years.  Native woodland species have been planted and, as these have grown, exotic trees and shrubs have been selectively removed, always leaving the wooded character of the area intact.

So far, native Mediterranean plants to have become established include Narrow-leaved Ash, Mirbech's Oak, Cork Oak, Round-leaved Oak and Strawberry Tree.  False Acacias, Trees of Heaven, Lantana and Myoporum have been progressively removed.  The area is given minimum management and the ground cover is allowed to develop as naturally as possible.

There are still a good number of years to go before all the exotics are replaced, but a recent development has encouraged the team involved in the project.  The area has this year been chosen by a pair of Spotted Flycatchers, which successfully nested there - for the first time in Gibraltar, fledging at least two young over this last weekend - as reported on the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) website.  These woodland edge birds seem to have accepted the changes as a positive move towards their natural habitat! 

In recent years Robins have also been present through the summer in the same area, and recently Bonelli's Warblers, another woodland species, have been noted there too.

In another part of the gardens the nightly presence of Tawny Owls also suggests nesting of this species may be taking place within the Gardens.

The increase in the number of bird species nesting within the Alameda is most welcome and seems to be a sign that management techniques employed are benefiting the natural communities of the area.

30 June 2009

Open Air Theatre excels in beauty

Regardless of your views on beauty pageants or musical theatre, the Miss Gibraltar 2009 contest on Saturday 27th June showed the Alameda Open Air Theatre (an integral part of the botanic gardens) at its best.  The natural beauty of the setting went extremely well with the theme, which featured "goddesses" of earth, air, water and fire, and with the bright and varied colours of costumes and evening dresses.

Kaiane Aldorino was crowned Miss Gibraltar, and will now go on to represent Gibraltar in the Miss World Contest in December.

The theatre had been brought to its usual high standard of maintenance, with the pond in particular featuring the best show of  water lilies for many years.   A scene where the dancers stepped on to the pond surface and appeared to walk on the water was particularly impressive.

The Pageant was produced by Santos Productions for the Gibraltar Ministry of Culture .

       Dancing on water                                                 Photos: Luis photos, Gibraltar

29 June 2009

Morocco Research Published

       Succulent Euphorbia habitat in Morocco                        Photo: K.Bensusan

The latest issue of the journal of the International Asclepiad  Society, 'Asklepios', carries an important article by staff members of  the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens who formed part of the Gibraltar  Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) research team which  visited the south of Morocco last autumn.  An article entitled 'On the  distribution and habits of Apteranthes joannis (Maire) Plowes',  authored by Keith Bensusan, Brian Lamb and Charles Perez, discusses  the current state of knowledge of a species of succulent plant that is  endemic to (i.e., found only in) Morocco.  Apteranthes joannis, which  was until recently known as Caralluma joannis, was thought only to  occur at a single site between the High and Anti Atlas mountains  ranges, where it grows on limestone cliffs.  However, the team located  this very rare plant at two new sites in the Anti Atlas mountain  range, expanding its known distribution considerably.  The article  discusses the find and expands knowledge of the ecology of Apteranthes  joannis considerably.  It also discusses the conservation of the  species and outlines areas of future research.

'Euphorbia World', the journal of the International Euphorbia Society,  also included a short article by Keith Bensusan and Brian Lamb in  their last issue.  The article is entitled 'An Epiphytic Euphorbia  echinus Hook.f. & Coss. in the Anti Atlas of Morocco'.  Euphorbia  echinus is also endemic to the southwest of Morocco.  It is a thorny,  Cactus-like spurge that grows in arid, rocky habitats.  The article  cites the first record of the species growing on the trunk of a tree.   The tree in question, the Argan Argania spinosa, is likewise a  speciality of the south of Morocco.  It is of considerable economic  value to locals, who use oil extracted from the nuts to produce a  range of products, from very tasty cooking and dressing oil to  cosmetic products.

Research carried out by the GONHS in Morocco formed part of a  collaborative project between the Society and the Institut  Scientifique de Rabat (Morocco), which received INTERREG IIIA funding from the EU.

 Apteranthes joannis                                                    Photo:  K.Bensusan

21 June 2009

Summer Flowering Trees surround

the Miss Gibraltar Pageant

A stunning view from the Alameda Open Air Theatre

Gibraltar moves on from the Spring Festival into Summer and from the Calentita Evening it looks a week ahead to the next item on the Special Events Calendar, the Miss Gibraltar Pageant, at the Alameda Open Air Theatre next Saturday.  At a time when Gibraltarian beauty is celebrated, we remind people of the natural beauty of the venue in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens.

Transformed last Thursday into an enchanted forest, the set of Urban Dance’s Illumina, written and choreographed for the Theatre, so the natural beauty of summer flowers must be highlighted.  The Theatre pond itself boasts the best display of water lilies for many years.

Also flowering at the moment in the Alameda is the stunning Australian Flame Tree, only for the second time in its life, as it only bursts into flaming colour every five years.  In flower too are white and pink Oleander, turquoise-blue Jacaranda, sparkling pink bottle brushes and Albizzia, and pale blue Cape Chestnut.

Most of these flowering trees adorn the Upper Walk and the Dell, and stand out against the greens of the evergreen trees, contrasting with the dryness of the summer on the ground.

While Gibraltar enjoys the Miss Gibraltar Pageant, let’s not forget the natural colours and beauty than can be found, year round, in our Botanic Gardens.

Photographs of most of these trees, and other flowers out now, can be found here. 

Flame Tree, Oleander and Jacaranda are at their best now

11 May 2009

Wildlife Park Open Day Success

The Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park held their second ever Open “Fun” Day on Sunday 10th May, in combination with a bird of prey display in aid of the Lions Club run by GONHS at the Alameda Open Air Theatre.  With much promotion and media coverage of the day it was set to be a very busy occasion.  After Saturday’s showery weather, the Alameda woke to a glorious sunny day, much to the relief of staff at the Park.

The event began promptly at 12 noon, with many fun seekers arriving early, while the birds of prey were already in full swing, with eagles and hawks on static display and flying demonstrations.

The turn out on the day was fantastic, the Reception and balcony area were flooded with families enjoying the sunshine and indulging in activities such as face painting, bouncy castle, and lucky dip, while others were taken on tours around the Park by staff and volunteers.

The staff and management at the Park would like to thank all the staff, volunteers and visitors for their efforts and generosity on the day.  Fun was had by all, including the animals, who seemed to enjoy the extra attention, care having been taken that they were not stressed by the influx of visitors..

The organisers would also lke to thank all the local companies for their generous donations of raffle prizes.  These are listed below.

Signed cookbook donated by Ainsley Harriot, Gibmaroc, Accesorize, Glass House, The Silver Shop, BHS, Galaxy, Garcia’s, Out of Africa, Pashmina, Vijay’s, Roller Pet Shop, ICC Pet Shop, Omni, Star of India, Music Corner, Tommy Hilfiger, 888.com, Morrison’s, Botanic Gardens Nature Shop, Gibraltar Bookshop, S.M. Seruya, Joost, Photography Centre, The Clipper, Niche Gallery.

The funds raised will go towards improving the park for the animals and for the visitors.  For more information on future plans for the park and upcoming projects please visit the website at www.alamedawildlifepark.org/Strategic.Plan.pdf.

Still on is the photography competition, the deadline for which has been extended to Friday 29 May.  All pictures must be of animals seen in the Park.  Prizes include a Lion print kindly donated by Simon King (of the BBC’s Wildcat Diaries) and framed by Terry’s Arts and Supplies.

The Garden’s management were particularly pleased at the use made by the public of the Alameda Gardens, and will plan more activities of a similar kind for the future, as the Garden aims at its 200th anniversary in 2016.

Meanwhile, in order to ensure continuing interest, nine piglets were born in the Wildlife Park on Monday morning!

3 May 2009

New flower blooms in Gardens

The first flower of Dianthus caryophyllus in the Alameda

Plant conservation work at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens contiunues to hit success, with the flowering for the first time in the Alameda of a wild Pink, or Carnation, Dianthus caryophyllus.  Once quite common on the Upper Rock, the relentless growth of vegetation due both to natural succession and to changes in the way firebreaks are  managed, has resulted in open areas being covered with dense matorral in which this species cannot survive.  The Pink therefore became progressively rarer, to the point that two years ago it was feared extinct in Gibraltar. 

Then a plant was found in the “Jungle” and seeds collected by Freddie Gomez and Priscilla Serfaty and given to the Botanic Gardens.  Shortly after that, several plants were found at the base of the North Face by a GONHS team carrying out a survey for the Gibraltar Biodiversity Project, near the former Shell Depot, and seeds were also collected.  Seeds from all of these plants were sown at the Botanic Gardens, and the young plants cared for until they were planted out late last year.  Now they have flowered for the first time.

  Cerastium gibraltaricum in the Gibraltar Bed by the George Don Gates

1 May 2009

Former Kew man joins our team

The Gibraltar Botanic Gardens have been joined by one of the world’s foremost tree experts.  Jon Hammerton, who worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew for 20 years has left the UK to settle in Gibraltar and work at the Alameda Gardens.

Jon Hammerton is already a celebrity, having featured in books and TV programmes on Kew and on Trees, the latest being the very successful BBC Series The Trees That Made Britain.   At Kew, to which he went straight from school, he was a team leader and one of the leading climbers, looking after more than 14,000 trees.

Jon fell in love with Gibraltar and our Botanic Gardens when he came over with the Kew tree team several years ago, and has finally made the move.  He has swopped oaks and beech trees for olives, stone pines and dragon trees!

His responsibilities, as part of the Alameda Garden team, will be mainly in relation to tree work, of which there is a great deal in what is Gibraltar’s most wooded area.  There is much to be done in relation to removal of dead wood, clearing views, assessing the state of trees, and of course planting new ones, and already a programme of work is being developed.   Apart from working in the Gardens, Jon will be involved in tree assessments and advice throughout Gibraltar, as part of the arrangements made between the Government and the Garden’s managing company, Wildlife (Gibraltar) Ltd.  This will allow an improvement in the state of Gibraltar’s trees and will hopefully encourage people to appreciate them more.

Garden Director, Dr John Cortes said, "Jon is now an integral part of an increasingly professional team at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, which is working hard to deliver a progressively more attractive and important Garden for Gibraltar and the world as it heads towards its 200th anniversary in 2016".

Visitors to the Alameda will soon recognise the new face!

1 May 2009

Wildlife Park Open Day

The Alameda Wildlife Park, within the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens (the former miniature golf site), will be holding its second Annual Open Day  on Sunday 10 May. 

This will be combined with a Bird of Prey Display at the Open Air Theatre, in  aid of Lions’ Club, hosted by the Bird of Prey Unit of the GONHS (Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society).

There will also be a photographic competition, to be judged on the day.

Details of the Open Day, photo competition, contact details, etc. can be seen on the Wildlife Park's web pages, here.

18 April 2009

Open Air Theatre announces

2009 Programme

The Alameda Open Air Theatre, has just announced its programme for the Summer of 2009.    Apart from private functions, there are eight different productions planned, running for a total of nineteen nights.

The productions range from band concerts to beauty contests and musicals.

Opening the season at the beginning of June will be the musical Oliver.  Later in the same month will be the variety performance of Bosom Buddies, followed by a production by Urban Dance entitled Ilumina.  Shortly after will be the Miss Gibraltar 2009  Pageant, followed in early July by another musical, Jesus Christ Superstar.  Miss Glamour 2009 and then Model Search 2009 follow later in July, while in early September the Theatre will host the now traditional Battle of Britain Concert.

The full calendar of performances can be seen on the Theatre’s webpage (http://www.gibraltargardens.gi/Theatreprogramme.php), while further details on each production will be released nearer the corresponding date.

The Theatre’s management, with the support of the Ministries of the Environment and of Culture, is continuing its policy of improving equipment to ensure, not just better quality performances, but a reduction in any sound that may inconvenience residents of the area.

There are still a number of bookings available, particularly in August.  Booking forms can be requested from theatre@gibraltargardens.gi or can be downloaded from the Theatre web page.

5 April 2009

Growing links with Kew

GBG General Manager, Jose Maria Rodriguez and Kew's Tony Hall inspect a Nettle Tree Celtis australis raised in Kew from seed collected in Gibraltar

Links between the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, are developing and growing steadily.

In past years, members of the Kew Tree Team have spent time working on the trees in the Alameda Gardens and there have been regular visits in both directions,  with staff from Kew visiting Gibraltar and Alameda Garden staff calling at Kew.

The most recent visit to Kew, last week, was by the Gibraltar Gardens Director, Dr John Cortes, and its General Manager, Jose Maria Rodriguez.  The main purpose of the visit was to hold discussions with various departments at Kew to discuss ideas about developing a new rockery at the Alameda and to update methods in propagation and compost-making.

The collaboration is far from one-sided, and the Gibraltar delegation was able to see first hand the large number of plants from Gibraltar-collected seed currently being grown in Kew’s greenhouses for their developing Mediterranean collection.  An increasing number of shrubs and trees originating in Gibraltar are now growing outside in Kew Gardens, and will in future years become prominent exhibits in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Further collaboration in a range of fields, including database development and mapping are planned for the near future.

Gibraltar-origin plants in the greenhouse

Some of the trees grown from Gibraltar-collected seed

Jose Maria Rodriguez discusses rockery construction

with Kew's Joanna Everson

Gibraltar Botanic Garden General Manager Jose Maria Rodriguez and

Director John Cortes at Kew's growing Mediterranean area

16 February 2009

Russell Wagner visits Garden

The editor of a leading publication on succulent plants, ‘Cactus and Succulent Journal’, visited Gibraltar recently.  Russell Wagner spent two days at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, where he was as able to enjoy its plants (particularly the large collection of succulents!), offer some useful advice on growing and caring for these sometimes-delicate plants, and provide useful contacts for exchange of plants, seeds and information.  Russell is shown in a photograph with the Gardens’ curator, Brian Lamb.  In fact, Russell told us that one of his first two books on succulent plants was Brian and his father Edgar’s hugely popular ‘The Pocket Encyclopaedia of Cacti in Colour’!  The ‘Cactus and Succulent Journal’ is published by the Cactus and Succulent Society of America (www.cssainc.org).

26 January 2009

Alameda in Botanic Garden publication

2 January 2009

Alameda Theatre's first leading actor

passes away, aged 37

When the Alameda Open Air Theatre re-opened after years of neglect and total refurbishment several years after the creation of the Botanic Garden, the first production staged there, in May 1996, was 'Arrow - The Legend of Robin Hood', by Gibraltarians Trevor Guilliano and William Finlayson.  Such was the success of the production that it was repeated - with an almost identical cast - several years later.

The leading role of Robin Hood on both occasions was played by Sean McCarthy, who was aged 25 in 1996.  This challenging part allowed Sean to express his acting skills and particularly his versatile voice to its best, as can be confirmed from the recording on the CD of the musical published at the time.

Sean McCarthy passed away suddenly and tragically on 30 December 2008.  Sean was a good friend of the Open Air Theatre, and of the Gardens, which he used as a base for his singing activities for some time.  He was a kind, caring person, full of ambition and ideas, and a pleasure to know and to work with.

The Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, which provided Sean with one of his most beloved stages, wants, in this short obituary, to pay tribute to his life, to his talent, and to his friendship.

Sean McCarthy, 1971-2008, as Robin Hood