The Herboretum News

July 2012

The Herboretum creates its garden entirely dedicated to regional cosmétopeia!

True open-air laboratory dedicated to plants of the beauty, health and well-being, The Herboretum gives pride to cosmetic plants including those of the Centre Region, by creating the Garden of Regional Cosmétopeia

This garden presents the cosmetic plants grown in the Beauce, including blueberry, ideal for the care of the eye, evening primrose source of hydration for dry skin, carrot and oat with regenerative properties and meadowsweet with softening virtues.

April 2012

From 1^st to 7^th April, The Herboretum participated at The Sustainable Development Week.

Throughout France, animations were developed to raise all the public and encourage it to become consum'actors.

The Herboretum joined this operation, has released its exposure and conducted a conference and school activities about biodiversity.

The record in pictures!

School activities

Conference

The Herboretum participated at the Travel Exchange organized in Sully-sur-Loire, by the Tourist Board of the Loiret, Thursday, April 5, 2012.

rogram: a lounge and speeches, including this of Eric Doligé, Senator and President of the General Council of Loiret

November 2011

The Network of The Herboretum:
on the road of gardens of biodiversity

In this year 2011, proclaimed the year of overseas, The Herboretum has chosen French Polynesia to launch its global network of committed partners around the same values: the preservation and enhancement of biodiversity.

The Network of The Herboretum aims to increase the action centers and bring together the knowledge and know-how for local biodiversity. First step in this new adventure: the accession of the botanical garden Motu Ovini in Tahiti where projects are set up around the original and creative Monoi, endemic plants and ancestral knowledge for nearly 20 years. November 14, during the week of Monoi, Genevieve Beraud-Bridenne, president of The Herboretum and Daniel Langy, president of the Interprofessional Grouping of Monoi in Tahiti (GIMT), which supports the garden of Motu Ovini, have therefore launched the Network of The Herboretum and signed the Charte formalizing their partnership and their commitment to preserve biodiversity.

The Herboretum Network is:

• A network without borders
• A network of gardens and shared values
• A network of cultural diversity and valued traditions
• A network of identified challenges facing the loss of biodiversity
• A network for inter-generational natural heritage for future generations
• A network of well-being and hymn to the beauty of Nature
• A network whose first step leads to Tahiti, Monoi Institute and its garden Motu Sheep

To see the press articles on this subject (articles in French):
- La Dépêche de Tahiti (15^th november 2011)
- Les Nouvelles de Tahiti (18^th november 2011)

Soon a section devoted entirely to the network!

In the meantime, check out the Charte, by clicking here!

 

October 2011

The Herboretum took part in the day of discussions held by the Regional Tourist Office on 13^th October at the Château de Jallanges in Touraine.

On that occasion, The Herboretum suggested an interactive activity in the form of an oral quiz, "Who am I?", in order to identify certain species presented on its Web site. The workshop called for 3-4 activity sessions with up to 6 people, lasting 30 minutes each. At the same time, a meeting space had been set up to inform visitors about the various options for events.

September 2011

The Herboretum's plans are now going international with the launching of The Herboretum Network, in order to promote appreciation of our wealth of biodiversity by bringing together environment-friendly gardens from the four corners of the world.

In a class by itself, The Herboretum is an invaluable means of actively protecting and giving value to Nature's diversity. Located in Saint-Ay, on 9 hectares of land, near Orleans and in the heart of the Loire Valley, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, The Herboretum is an historical entity built on the site of a former Cistercian monastery.

Its objectives thus coincide with a long tradition of observing and benefiting from Nature as practiced by the monks since the Middle Ages, with the preparation of potions, elixirs of life, and concoctions using medicinal plants grown right inside their monastery. Carrying on the tradition of medicinal gardens of the 13^th century, The Herboretum is now present as the Herb Garden of the 3^rd millennium.

The Herboretum is a garden of protected and shared biodiversity with a wealth of more than 1,000 plant species dedicated to, among other things, beauty, health and well-being. Today it is a cross-roads of expertise concerning plants: botanists, agronomists, biologists and professionals from the cosmetics industry meet there to reflect on how best to protect and promote plant resources.

The logical extension of this approach is to reproduce oneself worldwide through the Herboretum Network, in order to increase the number of activities centres and consolidate knowledge and know-how in order to help promote biodiversity locally.

August 2011

This month offers the 5^th edition of the multimedia event: "Perspectives and Discussions on Biodiversity" by the French Ecology Association!

July 2011

Here, you will find the 4^th edition of the multimedia event: "Perspectives and Discussions on Biodiversity" by the French Ecology Association!

May 2011

Come visit The Herboretum during Sustainable Development Days in the city of Orleans!

On 16^th to 29^th May 2011, the city of Orleans will hold its Sustainable Development Days.

The Herboretum will take part in this event in various ways:
- educational presentations intended for the children of Orleans
- a presence at Orleans street markets on 25^th and 26^th May, from 3 to 7 p.m.
- an exhibition on biodiversity at Place d'Arc Please come take part in the SDD in Orleans! To view the programme, click here.

April 2011

A hotel for insects at The Herboretum!

Located close to woods and vast agricultural areas, with a beautiful view of a field of wildflowers and grains (poppies, cornflowers, corn cockles, grain-bearing plants, etc.), in quiet, peaceful surroundings. This is a deluxe, recently-built residence made of solid wood.

The residents at the hotel of The Herboretum include:

- Green Lacewings, small green insects who are an invaluable aid to gardeners, have beautiful golden eyes and live off honeydew and pollen, while their larva consume large quantities of aphids, mealy bugs and mites. Their lodgings at The Herboretum are filled with fibres from packing materials or straw, with a few slits for openings and are an ideal habitat.
- Bumblebees, very active pollinators who forage, very early in the Spring, as soon as the temperature outdoors reaches 5°C. The room with a hole 10 millimetres in diameter and a take-off ramp is perfect for them!
- Bees and solitary wasps, as well as leaf-cutter bees, appreciate the room with reed mats and the one built of hollow bricks filled with a mixture of mud and straw, where they make their nests.
- Dipterous insects (flies), such as syrphid flies, who disguise themselves as wasps to scare away predators and whose eggs produce larva that eat the colonies of aphids near which they are laid. The adults consume pollen and nectar, and are active pollinators who find everything they need in this habitat comprised of pithy elderberry stalks and butterfly bushes!
- Bees and solitary wasps, such as mud-daubers, use the drain holes in the dry wooden windows of the hotel to lay their eggs and then construct mud nests around them.
- Foficula (or "ear-wigs"), who feed on aphids, slug eggs or mites. They are hosted at The Herboretum in an overturned flowerpot filled with wood fibres, hay or straw.
- Ground beetles, whose larva devour nut weevils and codling moth caterpillars, and feed on slugs and snails. They feel right at home in one of the hotel's rooms comprised of pieces of branches!
- Wood-boring insects, such as the carpenter bee, with its purple colouring, the biggest of our bees, enjoy the wood used in the framing of the hotel.
- Ladybugs are also welcomed at the hotel in a room comprised of closely joined slats.

The Herboretum built this hotel to attract useful insects to its garden and thus promote biodiversity.

The Herboretum takes part every year in Sustainable Development Week (1-8 April)

The Herboretum will be present on Saturday, 2^nd April, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Espace Béraire at the Saint-Mesmin Chapel.

To view the programme, click here.

The Herboretum will also participate in Sustainable Development Week at Saint-Ay, on Friday, 8^th April, to provide educational activities at the school.

March 2011

Welcome to the spring!

Meet The Herboretum for Operation ‘Spring Place’ on Saturday, March 26^th at Orleans! The Herboretum a booth at the Place d'Arc Agora 10 a.m to 6 p.m.

Come!

January 2011

Soon a Herboretum Federation!

The Herboretum has decided to take action by creating a Herboretum Federation that recognises the importance of the natural heritage and biodiversity for the sustainable and balanced development of regions.

The aim of this Federation will be to apply the precepts of The Herboretum to any other garden in the world that wishes to take part and join in with this project. Several gardens are already interested in participating in this great adventure!

They are committed to: preserve biodiversity, by cultivation techniques respecting the environment prize biodiversity, by the presentation of a diversity of gardens observe biodiversity, to better understand its complexity participate to the follow-up of its evolution increase the awareness of the public to its vital role One of the first projects undertaken by this federation is to take part in the development of the Cosmetic Valley Cosmetopaeia.

The Herboretum network will therefore ensure that a garden is created in each country to offer researchers a place to discover and study, sharing their scientific knowledge thanks to a network of specialists on the world of plants: botanists, ethnobotanists, pharmacologists, agronomists, etc., so as to offer an easy interface between supply and demand.

November 2010

Tiare at The Herboretum!

The Institute of Monoi donated 3 plants Tiare Tahiti (Gardenia taitensis) that we can now discover The Herboretum.

September 2010

The Herboretum Participates at Meetings about the environmental education!

Organized by the Graine Centre, these regional meetings have these
objectives:
- Facilitate the meeting and knowledge network of actors for the environment
- Promote the exchange of experiences
- Discover and explore the theme of the garden in the practices of environmental education

The theme chosen this year is "the garden, a tutor to grow!".

Within these meetings, The Herboretum leads a workshop entitled "Discovering biodiversity" Saturday, September 25^th, 2010.

Listings: info@grainecentre.org

Program

July 2010

Once upon 5 times, it was biodiversity…

Biodiversity is exposed and is told… with a lucky charm cinquefoil, the emblematic plant of The Herboretum.

This exhibition invites you to understand biodiversity, its vital role and its various aspects by examples chosen from The Herboretum. Come to discover it every Wednesday, by appointment, or during our open doors !

For more information, click here !

June 2010

Sponsor a hive at The Herboretum, and actively help safeguard bees!

The Herboretum and its partner, Apipioger, would like to encourage you to sponsor the beehives at The Herboretum! There are only 7 hives left for sponsoring!

The idea is simple:
Sponsor and choose the name of your hive among the names of melliferous plants present at The Herboretum (passion flower, valerian, sweet clover, violet, chamomile, angelica), and receive a regular update on its activity. In addition, receive great advantages: a welcome gift and 10% on all other hive products!

Commit alongside The Herboretum and Apipioger, to help preserve bees and biodiversity!

Visit us on Sunday 6^th June for the launch of the event: ‘Sponsor a Hive at The Herboretum’!
For further information

March 2010

Project 2010 The Herboretum label!

The United Nations has declared 2010 ‘International Year of Biodiversity’ to alert the public about the status and consequences of declining biodiversity in the world. They have set the following main goals for this year 2010:

- Increase awareness of citizens on the importance of preserving biodiversity and the threats to it
- Awareness about the achievements already carried out by communities and governments to protect biodiversity
- Encourage individuals, organizations and governments to take immediate steps to halt biodiversity loss
- Promote innovative solutions to reduce threats to biodiversity
- Initiate a dialogue among stakeholders on measures to take to the post-2010

The France responds by declaring biodiversity, a major cause for 2010!

And The Herboretum take part in this national and international strategy, organizing, on its place, a series of events around an exhibition on the theme of local biodiversity.

This project has been labeled ‘2010 International Year of Biodiversity’ and receive national exposure by appearing on this site: www.biodiversite2010.fr.

December 2009

Best wishes!
In 2010, participate in the International Year of Biodiversity at The Herboretum!

The Herboretum wishes you a beautiful year 2010 and invites you to participate in the International Year of Biodiversity!

For The Herboretum, garden of preserved and shared biodiversity, participate in the International Year of Biodiversity is an awareness and the sign of a strong commitment becoming a reality on the ground. Within the framework of this thematic year, a wide program of activities dedicated to the biodiversity and intended for the general public will be set up: exhibitions, guided visits, animations, etc.

Because the stakes are global but also local, The Herboretum chose to centre its program on the local biodiversity. The start of this vast program will be given on May 22^nd, 2010, on the occasion of the world day of the biodiversity.

For more information, meeting in 2010!

August 2009

Messicoles of grassland habitat for many species of butterflies!

This cereal field has been recreated with its accompanying “harvest” plants, because they live at the rhythm of the harvests: cornflower, field poppy, corn cockle, etc.

Its flowers were used to promote the arrival of butterflies, more and more at The Herboretum!

The Herboretum registers the butterflies present on the domain and participates to the Garden Butterflies Observatory launched by the Association Noé Conservation, with the collaboration of the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle.

Actual surveillance net for the common day butterflies species, the Garden Butterflies Observatory allows to follow the evolution of the populations and to better understand the ecologic dynamics, related to the global warming for instance.

July 2009

A new tropical greenhouse for The Herboretum!

>A dozen of tropical plants are presented: