On 4 June, Dr Khalil Hindi, President of Birzeit University, and Ziad Khalaf, Director General of the A M Qattan Foundation, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a botanical garden on the campus of the university. The project aims to develop the study of botany in the university, encourage awareness and appreciation of biodiversity, provide an appropriate environment for the training of botany students, engage with the local community, and hopefully help to preserve endangered plant species.
The project arises from the partnership between the A. M. Qattan Foundation and the University of Birzeit. The garden will include both indigenous and imported plants, and will exhibit ancient plants as well as those introduced in later time periods.
“Birzeit University will allocate a land within the campus for the garden,” says Dr Khalil Hindi. “It is necessary to provide an environment for our students to train and develop their skills and knowledge in the field of botany. The garden will not be exclusive to college students, but will be extended to the local community and schools. It will help increase community awareness of the importance of plants within the scope of biodiversity, not to mention the aesthetic aspect that the garden will bring to the campus.”
Ziad Khalaf says that the Foundation will supply US$15,000 from the Walid and Helen Kattan Science Education Project to build the garden. “The Foundation will also provide the necessary expertise and local and/or international capabilities needed to build the garden in accordance with current international standards” Khalaf says.
Dr Nader Wahbeh, Director of the Walid and Helen Kattan Science Education Project, says that the objectives of the garden should not be limited to aesthetic and scientific aspects, and that it should include cultural and pedagogical elements. “We can link the garden with the schools and the education community in general,” he says. “The garden could be used to teach science in a more integrated way, through specific pedagogical and instructive programmes.”
Dr Wahbeh also emphasised the importance of connecting the garden with cultural fields of study, such as art and literature. “There are many connections that could be shown through the use of art stations throughout the garden. These stations will demonstrate the historical connection between nature and art in Palestine.”