He nicknamed the “Night of Egyptian Cinema” for his aristocratic position and his military past Ahmed Mashar, who died in 2002, He dedicated himself to the collection of plants between racks. The garden now belongs to his son, architect Shehab Mashar, and he opened the public in July 2024, and according to Major, follows the tradition of the Egyptian kings in the early twentieth century.
Mashar says, “As a child, my grandmother taught me to plant me in the garden. He even taught me to pay the earth.” This experience created an emotional connection Flowers and trees I saw it grown every day. “As I grew up, I felt the deep desire to spend time to build a unique botanical garden. The first of this type of this type Egypt.
How did the Major Botanical Garden grow?
In 1950, Ahmed Masher started a set of flower seedlingsAlmond trees, roses and fruits. In 1985, he expanded his attitude, covering shade plants and rare plant species. In 2009, Mashar’s son introduced a vast set of palm trees, BambooJasmine, aloe, living plants, interior and aquatic plants, ferns and bulbs.
Established on 30 Acres of land in El-BagheleAbout 10 kilometers from the center of Cairo, this garden has 75,000 rare types of medical and aromatic plants collected at plant exhibitions around the world.
The garden was with its main purpose of protecting the largest living set of native plants Recognized Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) 2017 is one of the types of this type of North Africa. It also contains a scientific research center and plant studies.
A green lungs to the larger Cairo
Dr. Theres Lobby, a specialist in traditional botanical garden and supervisor of the Major Botanic Gardens Gardening plays a basic role in the protection of species Rare and dangerous vegetables worldwide. “In addition, gardening protects biodiversity and promotes environmental consistency by increasing absorption rates Carbon dioxide“, Says labip.
Major’s botanical garden, he says, Exceeds the ability to suck orman The impurities removes four times the equivalent than the amount of orman absorbed by the Gran Cairo.
According to the latest report of Dr. Wafa Mahraf About 2 million kilograms of carbon dioxide is captured per year.
Accept the vegetable DNA technology
To improve this important role, horticulture experts have introduced an advanced plant classification system DNA analysis. In Egypt, this system has become the first Botanical Gardens in Egypt, which is called the organization Angiosperm pylilogeny group (APG) is a modern way of classifying flowers with flowers based on molecular analysis.
This technology helped the plants to accurately order According to their science classifications. QR codes were added to provide information about the history, appearance and rare nature of each plant, and 1,080 types of plants have been documented to date.
“Botanical Gardens They play a basic role in alleviating the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing the heat, ”says Dr. Hesham Lodfi, a plant classification professor at the University of Eine Sham’s University. The actual value of the botanical garden Beyond this function because they are considered a “living museum” for plants ToesianRare.
“Majar’s garden Effectively contributes to improve the quality of the wind In the Giza governor, thanks to the density and diversity of its vegetable card, “Lodfy says.
How much trees do carbon save?
Dr Maha Ismail, who runs the Research Center on Forests and Trees in Cairo, says it The ability of trees to absorb carbon dioxide varies varying Depending on many factors. In them, the location of the crop, the type of the soil where it is located, AgeGrowth rate and carbon concentration in the surrounding atmosphere.
“Scientific equations are used to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide stored in a tree,” Ismail explains. “About two tons of eucalyptus It will store the estimated ton of carbon dioxide, about half of its weight. For the rest of his life, a 20 -year eucalyptus absorbs about 122 kilograms of carbon. “
Challenges to keep botanical gardens in Egypt
The Lack of water In Egypt, Dr. Mohamed Mahmood, former director of the Horticulture Research Institute of the Agricultural Research Center, controls the creation of a new botanical garden, Since resources are used to confirm 105 million population.
AdvertisementMahmood explains to the ‘EuroNius’ that “the national policy is to plant the forest trees irrigated in purified wastewater.” “This is a constant environmental substitute for gardens. Planting near waste water treatment facilities will contribute effectively to reduce and alleviate carbon emissions The effects of climate change“.
Professor of Water Resources at the University of Cairo and Consultant of the United Nations Agricultural and Food Organization (FAO) Perennial leaf trees suggests that the most effective To purify the air due to the density of its leaves and the photosynthesis they perform throughout the year.
Plans for ‘Violation of the Desert’ Noor El-Thin says that not only protects agricultural lands from desertism, they have become a strategic need to face climate challenges and improve the quality of the air.
This article has been published in collaboration with EGAB.
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