From April 8 to 14, Prof. Arkadiusz Nowak, director of our Botanical Garden, visited the Astana Botanical Garden, a branch of the Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction of the Kazakh Academy of Sciences.

The main objectives of the visit were to sign a partnership agreement and to clarify the terms of further scientific, research and organizational cooperation between our institutions. The meeting was hosted by Medeu Razhanov, director of the Astana Botanical Garden.

During his stay, Prof. Nowak had the opportunity to learn about the functioning and development of the Garden, especially the impressive greenhouse facilities where collections of tropical plants and succulents are maintained. He also became acquainted with the herbarium's rich collections and the possibilities for organizing scientific research expeditions held by the Garden's staff in Astana.

Another important highlight was a visit to the Central Botanical Garden in Almaty, where Prof. Novak's guide was Alexander Dubynin. The stay in Kazakhstan also provided an opportunity to observe in the natural environment numerous, often endangered species of wild tulips, including: Tulipa greigii, T. ostrowskiana, T. kaufmanniana, T. kolpakowskiana, T. biflora, T. albertii, T. dasystemon, T. buhseana, and T. lemmersii, as well as other interesting plant species.

After the completion of the current intensive field research in Central Asia, the strategic direction of the activities of our Garden's team of ecologists and phytosociologists will be further in-depth study of the flora of Central Asia - the homeland of tulips and vast steppes.