Institute to help restore city garden

 THE Lae Botanic Gardens will have its pride restored through an advancement programme supported by the PNG Forest Research Institute and “friends of the garden”.

The programme, to be delivered over a five to 10-year period, aims to strengthen the current operations of the gardens.

It will deliver new initiatives to enhance the country’s and Morobe’s capacity in natural resource management and showcase these to the world.

A project management team will develop and deliver operational plans, services and infrastructure necessary to deliver the programme.

The garden is more than 50 years old and has every PNG native plant species, an orchid and tropical herbarium nursery.

“The garden’s natural flora and fauna resources are very much intact and have always been preserved since it was established,” acting institute director Dr Martin Golman said.

Garden curator Michael Lovave said the 38-hectare garden, manned by eight workers, would be opened during the festive season.