July 23 | Our botanical Weekend

How does the Swamp Trident taste?

The botanical weekend has just taken place at the Schatzalp. This years theme has been “Animals in the Garden”. The AGM of the Association of Friends of the Botanical Garden was also embedded in the program.
Friday in particular was dedicated to the animal co-inhabitants of the gardens with two lectures. In the morning, the scientific illustrator Dani Pelegatti presented “Insects across the beds – the garden as a habitat”. With his eye for detail and the joy of biodiversity, he opened up a fascinating view of natures crawling, humming and flying community. With winged inhabitants it continued in the afternoon. Garden Director Klaus Oetjen gave an informative presentation on the garden as a habitat for birds and other vertebrates.
Then the members of the Alpinum association – short for the association mentioned above – gathered for the general assembly. It was with great joy that they were able to take note of a large donation, which ensured that the finances of the benevolent association were able to close significantly good for once. Not for long, however, because the 2024 budget is already showing a minus again. According to the wishes of the donors, the donation will have been used for signage in the alpine garden by then. “Since this year, the Alpinum has been a member of “Botanic Garden Conservation International”, reported board member Fabian Reppel. This makes it much easier for the Alpinum to exchange seeds with other gardens of the same kind.
From the swamp…
On Saturday the society went into the Dischma-Valley, where botanisation took place between Dürrboden and Teufi, under guidance of botanist Benjamas Ramsauer. Originally from Thailand, Benjamas discovered her passion for botany because of Swiss dandelion meadows. Something she didn’t know from her Thai homeland. In the meantime, she has turned her fascination into a profession and compiles plant inventories for various institutions. Above all, as a trained excursion leader, she shares her enthusiasm with others. In the dry soil with its rather acidic habitats, the main focus was on the large number of plant species found in fens and raised bogs. These are communities that are strictly protected in the lowlands, but can already be seen here in the mountains along streams and grazed by cows and horses. A highlight was the encounter with the swamp trident (Triglochin palustre). Its name comes from its seed head, which resembles Neptune’s trident, so well suited to its habitat in and near the water. Ramsauer recommended tasting the plant as well. The special taste will not be revealed here, but is reserved for the participants.
…to the wind crest
The wind crest communities with the various heather plants such as crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) and bog bilberry (Vaccinium gaultherioides) also lingered for a long time. A little further down the valley, there were the tall herb meadows with the Alpendost (Adenostilis alliariae) in the immediate vicinity of the green alders, which had to be discussed in detail. Equipped with a magnifying glass and a small board, Ramsauer explained the special characteristics and differences between the species in great detail. This made the excursion extremely interesting for both amateurs and professionals. The botanical weekend concluded on Sunday morning with a tour of the gardens led by Oetjen: “From the classic rock garden to the crevice garden”.