Press Release – Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden in Luang Prabang, Laos is excited to announce the fundraising campaign for the second phase of its development: the creation of its regional biodiversity research and education centre. This centre will represent the first living collection of plants in Laos dedicated to research and education, which will ensure the preservation of the exceptional biodiversity of Laos.
On November 7th 2016 the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden opened to the public, and over ten thousand people from around the world have visited, enjoyed its tranquility and appreciated its focus on conservation.
Founded by curator and publisher, Rik Gadella, Pha Tad Ke is the first garden of its kind in Laos. It has taken eight years of developing botanical collections, scientific research, landscaping, and employee capacity building to create this unique botanical garden with a deep focus on ethnobotany and medicinal plants.
Pha Tad Ke is setting new standards in responsible tourism by giving back to Lao communities, preserving local culture and protecting the environment. The garden provides jobs to over 40 local villagers and creates a nurturing platform for young talent to develop new skills in gardening, science, education and hospitality. Publications and manuals in Lao language have been written by the staff and provide learning opportunities for Lao communities through workshops and student trainings.
The installation of the regional biodiversity research and education centre will represent a major step forward for Pha Tad Ke as it pursues its conservation goals.
Rik Gadella
Worked in the art world in Amsterdam, Paris and New York for over 25 years and is the creator of world- renowned events such as Paris Photo and Parcours des Mondes. In 2008 he visited Luang Prabang for a short holiday and fell in love with this UNESCO heritage town, and its natural surroundings, and decided to move here to create the first botanical garden of Laos.
Here’s some of what Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden has accomplished since we began our project in 2008 to create the first botanical garden in Laos:
- 14 books published and 3 educational manuals;
- 30.000 copies of our books distributed free of charge to Lao schools and libraries;
- 2.400 school children have visited PTK as part of organized garden excursions, and over 1.200 university and college students;
- 12 school gardens installed with teacher training programs;
- 130 plus botanical fieldtrips undertaken;
- 1.500 different plant and tree species in our living collections;
- 2.500 staff training days organized in Laos; over 980 staff training days completed internationally;
- 8 scholarships given to Lao students;
- 74 workshops given to Lao college and university students in Field botany, Green horticulture, Ecology, Management coaching, Photography and Botanical Drawings;
- 22 art exhibitions organized in Laos and internationally;
- 38 articles in the press, 22 blogs, 5 radio interviews and 3 TV documentaries featuring PTK;
- 52 staff working in the garden;
- 10 hectares of garden open to the public, 2 hectares of work area/nurseries and 25 hectares of mountain reserve.
