Presentation

On the road to the gardens of biodiversity and cosmetopoeia...

Today, The Herboretum is taking its mission to the international arena with the establishment of The Herboretum Network. The aim of this Network is to promote and enhance the value of biodiversity through a worldwide network of committed partners.

Unmatched in its approach, The Herboretum constitutes an effective tool for the active conservation and promotion of diversity in living organisms, particularly within the plant kingdom. It is located on a 9-hectare (22-acre) site in Saint-Ay, near the city of Orléans in the heart of the Loire Valley, an area inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Herboretum is a historic landmark, erected on the site of a former Cistercian abbey.

Its mission is truly consistent with the purest tradition of medieval monks, who observed Nature’s bounty and used plants grown within the walled gardens of their abbeys to make decoctions, elixirs and potions. Like the medicinal or “physic” gardens of the 13^th century, The Herboretum today claims the status of Herbal Garden of the 3rd millennium.

 

Here in the heart of Cosmetic Valley, this “herbal paradise” assembles more than a thousand plant species dedicated mainly to beauty, health and “better-being”. A venue for meetings on ecology- and sustainability-related themes, it has emerged as a hub of expertise on plants and their characteristics.

The next logical step in the process was to establish an international network to replicate this expertise all over the globe and bring together all parties interested in playing a role in the conservation of living species, particularly plants.

Federating knowledge and skills, sharing experience, highlighting local plant resources, multiplying centres for initiative and awareness concerning the sustainable management of biodiversity: these commitments are the essence of The Herboretum Charter, which the partners of this network have signed.