Located on one of Hong Kong’s highest vantage points atop the Lam Tsuen Valley, Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Gardens is an important centre for the protection of Southern China’s Biodiversity and the development of sustainable agriculture. The farm was initiated in 1951 by Lord Lawrence Kadoorie and his brother Sir Horace Kadoorie as an agricultural aid association that empowered local and migrant farmers providing training and interest free loans. Over the years, in addition to its agrarian and life stock research and guidance projects the farm built up a considerable botanical and zoological collection while restoring the natural vegetation of the mountainous terrain. At present, Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Gardens has become an important venue for eco-tourists and nature lovers who wish to see the abundance of the region’s biodiversity. The centre is devoted to accomplishing the mammoth mission of “increasing awareness of our relationship with the environment and bring about positive change in the world through conservation and education". Its reforested and cultivated land area spans over 148 hectares preserving and exhibiting the local flora and fauna. The centre also conducts rescue and rehabilitation programs for wild animals aiming to [more..]

Just an hour’s drive from Black Forest and the Swabian Jura, in the heart of the region’s wine country lays stunning Stuttgart. Located along the banks of Neckar River and surrounded by dense forests, this timeless city well deserves its title as one of the greenest in all of Europe. Home to such renowned attractions such as the Church of St. Kilian also known as Kilianskirche, Palace Square, the locale also boasts several illustrious museums including the Wurttemberg State Museum , Kunstmuseum, Porsche Museum and the Mercedes-Benz Museum. For those who are looking for a night out on the town, Stuttgart offers a wide range of fine restaurants, cosy bars and trendy nightclubs while stylish shopping venues are also abundantly available. Set against the backdrop of the city’s picturesque landscapes lays the sprawling Wilhelma Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Built by visionary King Wilhelm the First, of Württemberg, the breathtaking landscapes of Wilhelma houses around 10,000 animals encompassing over 1000 species including an extensive collection of primates such as orang-utans, chimpanzees and gorillas. Proclaimed as Europe’s largest zoological and botanical garden, visitors can also marvel at the 5000 plant species and Europe's [more..]

The Indian city of Bangalore or Bengaluru is the capital of the state of Karnataka located on the Deccan Plateau. The city is a sprawling metropolis and is India's 3rd most populous city. A city that reeks of history, Bangalore today is a fast growing regional hub for many industries such as software, aerospace, heavy industries and even aerospace. In fact the city is often referred to as the Silicone Valley of Asia referring to the city's status as a leading exporter of IT related services. But Bangalore is not all concrete and steel. It is also known as the Garden City of India since many beautifully landscaped gardens and parks dot the cityscape and surrounding areas. Among the many gardens and parks available in the city of Bangalore, the Lalbagh Botanical Garden can be considered as the jewel in Bangalore's crown. Commissioned in 1760, the Lalbagh Botanical Garden is located in the heart of Bangalore and can easily be found via all the public transportation methods. The Lalbagh is influenced by designs of the gardens that can be found in Sira called Mughal Gardens. The Lalbagh Gardens cover a vast [more..]

The National Botanical Garden of Cuba was founded in 1989 in the south part of Havana City with an extension of 600 hectares and which shows today around 4 thousand vegetable species. This Garden is part of the University of Havana, and its main goal is to promote the care of nature and the recognition of the vegetable world, especially, the autochthonous flora. It has been organized in several restricted areas with certain characteristics: plains of Palm trees, pine forests, Eastern humid forests, wilderness, Mogote vegetation (mogote is a rock formation typical from Pinar del Rio), coastal scrublands; and a sample of the tropical flora from Asia, Africa, The Americas and The Antilles, Australia and Oceania, and other specialized collections (Palmetum, Archaic Forest, the Ekman Collection and the Collection of Economical Plants). Outside those areas, the visitor can enjoy a collection of ornamental aquatic and land plants, including a section dedicated to plants with trunks especially designed by nature to store water. One of the main attractions of this institution is the Japanese Garden inaugurated in 1989, a work by the Japanese landscape architect Yoshikuni Araki. Located in the phytogeographical area of Southeastern [more..]

ATLANTA - Hardin Construction Company's sustainability portfolio includes nearly 20 LEED-certified projects, but none of them has quite lit up the green-o-meter like the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Green Expansion The Garden's new visitor center and parking deck received Gold LEED certification. Hardin served as general contractor on project.The Garden's innovative expansion project earned recognition from the nation's leading evaluator of environmentally sustainable buildings, and is generating kudos for its abundant environmentally friendly amenities.The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded LEED Gold certification to two elements of the project-a striking new visitor center that captures natural light and features two green roofs that absorb rainfall and provide sound and thermal insulation; and a parking facility nestled into a steeply sloped, once-blighted hillside.They were in the first phase of the Garden's million expansion, designed to offer visitors new gardens and amenities while emphasizing sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.LEED Leadership"Joining the Atlanta Botanical Garden and other members of the project team in such an impressive project was quite an honor," said Hardin President Bill Pinto. "Hardin shares the Garden's commitment to sustainability, and we congratulate [more..]

The rapidly developing city of Bangalore is Asia’s newest Silicon Valley. The fifth largest city in India is also its fashion capital and is an absolute beehive of activity. Travellers arriving in Bangalore have a myriad of sites to keep themselves busy during their stay here. Some of the more popular Bangalore attractions include the Bugle Hill, Bull Temple, Government Museum, the Venkatappa Art Gallery and the beautiful Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. The Lalbagh Botanical Garden is situated in the heart of Bangalore and is surrounded by the residences of Jayanagar. The garden is easily accessible from all parts of the city through the various public transportations methods. Commissioned in 1760, the design of the gardens is based on the Mughal Gardens in Sira. The Lalbagh Gardens cover a massive expanse of land and features loads of open spaces, shady areas, well-laid out pathways and roads to help visitors make the best o their visit here. The garden feature more than 1000 species of fauna and flora while most of the trees at the garden are well over a century old. In fact, the Lalbagh is home to the largest collection [more..]