The 4th Flora of the Sultanate of Oman Natural Heritage Lecture

On Wednesday, the 23rd of October Nigel Winser invited Dr Annette Patzelt, Dr Laila Al Harthy and Dr Khalid Al Farsi to the Royal Geographical Society to discuss the history, progress and ambition of the new project, the Oman Botanic Gardens in Muscat. His Excellency Hussein Ali Abdul Latif, from the Diwan of the Royal Court, inaugurated the lecture. Annette, the Science Director of the Oman Botanic Gardens, spoke about the establishment of the gardens since 2006 and introduced the two speakers, Dr Laila Al Harthy and Dr Khalid Al Farsi. Laila, a Senior Botanist, discussed her field research and plant collection in Oman and especially the difficulties in accessing remote areas such as the Hajar mountains (from donkeys to helicopters as methods of transport). Khalid, a Senior Horticulturist, completed the lecture by examining methods of plant production and plant rescue at the Botanic Gardens. Having seen the models of the gardens we hope to visit the new Oman Botanic Gardens in the years to come!