• NAME Torre del Vinagre Garden, RABJEN, Spain
  • WEBSITE http://www.reservatuvisita.es/es/establecimiento/jard%C3%ADn-bot
  • EMAIL jbotanico.tvinagre.cmaot@juntadeandalucia.es
  • PHONE  (+34) 953 713 029
  • OPENING HOURS
    • October, November, and March: Tuesday to Sunday (and Monday bank holiday) (From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
    • April to September: Tuesday to Sunday (and Monday bank holiday) (From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.).
    • December to February: Tuesday to Sunday (and Monday bank holiday) (From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).
    • Closed: December 24, 25, and 31.
  • OWNERSHIP Public institution. Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio (CMAOT).
  • DIRECTOR Carmen Rodriguez Hiraldo
  • FACILITIES Accessible. Visitor center.
  • AREA (IN SQM) 1 Ha
  • NUMBER OF SPECIES 374
  • CONSERVATION PROGRAMMES

1) Locating and monitoring of protected, endangered, endemic, and rare flora and fungi taxa present in Andalusia.
2) Collection of seeds and other propagules from the taxa under study, intended for:

    • Development of germination and establishment protocols.
    • Representation in different botanical and mycological gardens.
    • Conservation in the Andalusian Plant Germplasm Bank.
    • Reintroduction or population reinforcement actions in the environment.

3) Representation of the vegetation, flora, and mycoflora that characterize the various biogeographical sectors of Andalusia.

4) Maintenance of conservation collections and genetic rescues.

5) Participation in the development of  Planes de Recuperación aprobados por la Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio, in this case, two of the four plans currently approved: Pteridophytes and Altas Cumbres.

  • RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

1) Collaboration with research centers, such as the CSIC, and universities, both regional and national, for the study of protected and endangered taxa present in the Andalusian community. The collections of botanical and mycological gardens are a tool for scientific research, as they provide genetic material from remote locations in the wild and bring together species in a single place for more effective research. Research centers such as the CSIC, other botanical gardens, private foundations, companies, and various universities rely on the equipment and resources offered by the Network to develop projects in different areas, including studies on pests, the effects of herbivory, trials with special substrates, and the monitoring of invasive alien species.

2) Collaboration with the Sociedad Española de Biología de la Conservación de Plantas (SEBICOP) on the SEFA Project (Seguimiento de Especies de Flora Amenazadas y de Protección Especial en España), which consists of studying the status of 70 species listed in the annexes to the Directiva de Hábitats, the Catálogo Español, or the LESPRE.

3) Permanent member of the Asociación Iberomacaronésica de Jardines Botánicos

  • EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

The actions carried out are:

  1. The Aldea Program, developed in collaboration with the Regional Ministry of Education, whose objective is to promote the integrated development of educational initiatives for the conservation of natural resources and the promotion of sustainable development within the Andalusian educational community, with the aim of contributing to a more environmentally friendly, fair, and supportive society, enabling the achievement of a comprehensive education that shares and is based on the four educational pillars proposed by UNESCO: Learning to be / Learning to live together / Learning to know / Learning to do.
  2. Training courses for professional sectors that require technical training in endangered and interesting flora.
  3. Activities and workshops on different topics and at different levels aimed at all types of audiences as a way of introducing them to Andalusia’s flora: photography workshops, workshops on the traditional uses of plants, workshops on certain plant groups, etc.
  4. Guided tours to learn about the contents of the different botanical gardens.
  5. Permanent workshops with groups that can observe the dynamics of the gardens at different times of the year.

The Torre del Vinagre Botanical Garden covers an area of just over one hectare and showcases the flora and vegetation of the biogeographical sector in which it is located, the Subbetic sector, which encompasses the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas, Sierra Mágina, Sierra de la Pandera, the Sierras Granadinas de Harana, Castril, Huetor y la Sagra, and the Sierras Subbéticas de Córdoba.

Located in the heart of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas Natural Park, the Torre del Vinagre Botanical Garden takes its name from the old name of the mountain where it is located. This name refers to the abundance of wild vines (Vitis sylvestris C. C. Gmel.) used by the inhabitants of the area to make vinegar.

This natural area was declared a National Hunting Reserve in 1960, covering an area of around 70 hectares. In 1983, it gained international recognition when it was declared a Reserva de la Biosfera. In 1986, the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas were declared Natural Parks, which currently covers 209,920 protected hectares. In 1987, it was designated a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA), as well as being included in the List of Sites of Community Importance (SCI) in 2006 and declared a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

A stroll through the botanical garden will allow us to discover the most representative vegetation of the different bioclimatic zones, that is, according to the altitude at which they are found in the natural environment. We will start with the plant formations that represent high mountain plants, passing through the deciduous forests of the high mountains, rock plants, the Salgareño pine forest, the laurel undergrowth, and ending with the riverside forest and aquatic plants.

In addition to this, a large area of the garden is dedicated to the cultivation of exclusive or endemic species, many of which are endangered, where several habitats have been recreated for their better adaptation. Finally, there is a recreated vegetable garden where traditional varieties from the area are grown, promoting the use of these varieties as well as more sustainable agriculture as another tool for conservation.

 

 

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