h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This item from BBC shows the importance of these in protecting plant diversity and the Southern hemisphere has too few:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41388144

Hello Elektra! We have several botanical gardens in South Africa. The main and oldest one is at Kirstenbosch in the Cape.

Here is a list of the current ones:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_botanical_gardens_in_South_Africa

There's actually a new one opening here in the Venda region which would be the first in Limpopo province. I personally want to have my own botanical garden some day! I agree they can do enormously valuable plant conservation work.

Is that close to you (this venda) they'd be lucky to have you on staff! I think you impressed the experts! It is explorers like you who find the treasures and expand the field.

Venda is not that far ... it's about 100 miles to the north of where I live. I'd vastly prefer though if I can get one started here in Polokwane, this is after all the 'capital' of Limpopo. But I hope to be working along with the folks in Venda, I've already met and spoken to the guy who's going to be in charge.

I am excited we are going to have a 'Wild World of Animals' show here in Clarion on October 7th in front of the Courthouse, they are promising a European Eagle Owl, an albino monocle cobra, a binturong, a spot-nose guenon monkey, and an African spotted leopard or maybe a hyena. This is really exciting as we aren't very close to a big zoo.