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UCR Botanic Gardens
University of California, Riverside Campus, California, USA
14:00, June 23, 2006
© 2006 Loren Price, All Rights Reserved.
The Gardens is a living plant museum with more than 3,500 plant species from around the world for visitors and researchers to see and study. It was established primarily for teaching purposes. In a beautiful setting, the Gardens serves to provide a wide assortment of plant materials for courses at UCR and other local schools. Courses supported include anthropology, art, biology, botany, ecology, entomology, landscape plants, morphology, ornamental horticulture, plant pathology, photography and taxonomy. The Gardens also provides plant materials for various research projects and serves to test and exhibit plant species introduced from all parts of the world. The variable terrain and Riverside's subtropical climate create numerous "microclimates" which allow for the notable diversity of plantings. This wealth of vegetation creates a hospitable sanctuary for wildlife, where nearly 200 bird species have been officially observed.
Off in the background, you can see the Geodesic Lath Dome, an intriguing structure housing a special collection of cycads and other subtropical plants. To find out more, go to http://www.gardens.ucr.edu/