On June 17, 2021, Prof. Jerzy Puchalski, long-time director of the Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden - Center for the Preservation of Biological Diversity in Powsin, celebrated his professional anniversary.

The year 2021 marks 51 years of professional work of Prof. Dr. Jerzy Puchalski, long-time director of the Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden - Center for the Preservation of Biodiversity in Powsin, long-time member of the governing bodies of the Council of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta in Poland, representative of Polish botanical gardens in the European Consortium of Botanical Gardens, representative of 19 countries of Eastern and Central Europe in the International Council of Advisors of BGCI, editor-in-chief of the scientific journal of the Polish Botanical Society titled "Bulletin of Botanical Gardens and Collections". "Bulletin of Botanical Gardens Museums and Collections", member of significant national and foreign organizations and scientific committees of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Author and co-author of numerous scientific publications and monographs. An extremely talented and efficient manager, repeatedly awarded and honored for his achievements and contributions to numerous botanical gardens, and in particular to the Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden - Center for the Preservation of Biological Diversity in Powsin, , Silesian Botanical Garden in Mikołów and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.

The anniversary was celebrated as part of the 50th Convention of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta in Poland, along with a scientific conference titled. "Research and Conservation of Plant Diversity in Light of GSPC 2020 Objectives in the Era of Global Climate Change." Occasional lecture was delivered by Dr. Pawel Kojs, who introduced the attendees to the silhouette of Prof. Jerzy Puchalski. Congratulatory letters were read out, highlighting the jubilarian's numerous contributions, including to the development of plant conservation and activities for the botanical garden community in Poland, Europe and the world.

On this occasion, Prof. Jerzy Puchalski gave a presentation on the subject of 50. years of research and conservation activity in the field of biodiversity of PAN Botanical Garden - CZRB in Powsin and cooperating botanical gardens.

Damian Matynia