Addis Ababa botanic garden to increase profile

Garden plans advertising campaign and projects with communities and universities.

The Gullele Botanic Garden (GBG) in Addis Ababa is to make more people aware of its existence with an advertising campaign as well as collaborating with universities and community projects.

Located on a 700-hectare site in the northwest outskirts of Addis Ababa, the municipal-owned garden was established in 2010 as a joint venture between the capital and Addis Ababa University. However the garden remains unknown to most people outside the city.

GBG management plan to raise the garden's profile through helping universities such as Bahir Dar, Adigrat and Haramaya to establish their own botanical gardens.

It also plans to collaborate with similar institutions abroad, and plant indigenous trees along the capital's streets.

Used for research, education, eco-tourism and conservation purposes, the garden currently hosts 780 of the country's estimated 6,500 plant species, and part of its mission is to rescue threatened Ethiopian flora from extinction.

The garden is open to the public and guided tours are available, for details see website.