Heat for greenhouses, winter 2022-2023

The life and performance of Botanic Gardens are never easy in Ukraine. Behind the most beautiful landscapes, well-groomed plants, interesting tours, and solid research results published by the most prestigious international science editions there are always constant search of funding, hard physical work, and resistance against those who try to take your land away.

For five years Mykola Hryshko National Botanic Garden of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine was receiving less than 50% governmental funding necessary for the basic needs of the institution. To maintain (purchase of fuel; electricity, water, and heat supply bills; keeping the 130 hectares of land and its buildings in shape, care of collectible plants) the garden and its employees must earn their own funding (by selling tickets and conducting recreational events).

This year was the hardest for Botanic Garden. In spring it was closed for visitors due to declaration the martial law. For this reason, unique collections azalea, camellia, magnolia, lilac, and rhododendron flowered in complete absence of visitors. That is why the main source of incomings for special National Botanic Garden reserve fund was lost. It is usually formed in April and May, during the mass visitation of the Garden and is used to pay for utilities.

Most of the needs can be cut down or postponed, but there is one that cannot – it is the temperature maintenance in greenhouses with tropical and subtropical plants.

The National Botanic Garden collection of tropical and subtropical plants is placed on 5000 m2 and comprises over 4000 taxa. It was one of the first among similar collections to have earned its title of national treasure in Ukraine in 1999. Citizens of Kyiv cannot imagine January without flowering orchids or February without seeing azaleas, May with no traditional “Bonsai” exhibition. Schoolchildren and students are usually getting to know the citrus garden and subtropical forest in our greenhouses. For these plants to survive the winter temperature must be held within 14 to 25 0С, depending on the plant’s origin. For instance, azaleas can handle 14-16 oC, but orchids need at least 20-22 oC.

The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, as the head manager of funds, allocated by government to maintain the object of National treasure – “Collection of tropical and subtropical plants…”, yearly provides extra funds to National Botanic Garden, that still only partially cover the expenses spent on heat to properly preserve collectible samples of the collection of tropical plants. During the last 8 years nearly 10 greenhouses totally spaced on 1000 m2 were conserved due to the lack of proper funding.

Maintenance of such collections was always a challenge for Garden`s personnel. In search of optimisation of orangery collections maintenance 2 boiler houses working on pellets were built back in 2012 to minimise the expense. Each season 800 to 1000 tons of pellets were burnt, depending on weather conditions. When the invasion started the cost of pellets grew significantly due to various reasons (the cost of raw materials, logistics, increased demand). Today it is 12000 UAH per 1 ton of pellets (in comparison to 7600 UAH during the winter 2021-2022). Which means that at least 10 million UAH is needed to keep heating in the winter of 2022-2023.

Despite all the efforts of Garden`s administration and personnel and usage of alternative heating systems in greenhouses, such as “Buleryan” furnaces (which burn firewood) or electric convectors, the Botanic Garden cannot handle

such a challenge on its own. All of us now acknowledge that this winter is going to be hard for both people and plants. Destiny of Garden`s unique collections, created by efforts of many previous generations now only depends on timely action. In this situation plants are the most fragile because they cannot take care of themselves.

In our days, when the destiny of the state of Ukraine is being decided on the battlefield, we must work for the win in the rear: in big cities, small towns, and villages. That is why we ask all supporters of Botanic Garden for help: everyone who cares for the future of this treasure, who loves the Garden like we do or is only planning on paying a visit in the future. We ask you to help to purchase pellets necessary for this season. We also are working on the optimization of the heating in the greenhouses, as we hope to decrease its costs for the future. Together we can save unique collections and hand it over to future generations as it was handed over to us. We also are working on the optimization of the heating in the greenhouses, as we hope to decrease its costs for the future and implement more nature friendly solutions. 

We would be grateful for your donations to the accounts which are opened separately for this project. Also, if you have the opportunity to provide wood pellets, we will gladly accept them as a gift.

The amount of the donation is non-refundable. Receipt of funds to the accounts of Foundation is your consent to this.

If we manage to raise more funds than required, the excess amount will be used for the “Water for the Botanic Garden project”.