THE North Coast Regional Botanic Gardens in Coffs Harbour hosts its annual Open Day on Sunday 28 May.

As part of a coordinated event with other botanic gardens around Australia, organised by the Botanic Gardens of Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ), the 2023 Open Day is themed ‘People and Plants that Inspire’.

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“The Coffs Harbour Botanic Garden Open Day will celebrate the contributions of Alex and Cynthia Floyd to the Botanic Garden and by Alex, specifically, to botanical science, especially of rainforest plants,” Graham Tupper, President of the Friends of the North Coast Regional Botanic Gardens told News Of The Area.

Running between 9.30am-3.30pm there are free Rainforest Tours

“The 30-minute tours will depart regularly from the Glasshouse foyer about 400m from the entrance on the main path or you can take a free electric buggy shuttle ride from the garden entrance to the Glasshouse,” said Graham.

“This special rainforest tour will not only introduce the main types of rainforest in our region but illustrate how the rainforest areas in the garden were designed and planted, under the direction of Alex and Cynthia Floyd, using some historic ‘Then and Now’ photographs.”

The photos taken from the same location of the rainforest seedlings in 1987 and the rainforest now in 2023, illustrate how, with some inspiring leadership from people like Alex and Cynthia Floyd, and a lot of local volunteer community help over the years, a beautiful rainforest can emerge from what had been a former dump site in the middle of Coffs Harbour.

“The seminal book on Rainforest Trees of South-Eastern Australia by Alex Floyd helped to define the types of rainforest in our region which underpins the World Heritage listing of the Gondwana rainforests along the east coast.”

Visitors can experience some of these rainforest types in paths and boardwalks in the Botanic Garden.

From 9.30am to midday there is a special display on the legacy of Alex Floyd.

This is near the entrance to the garden and will feature photos, stories, memorabilia and a video of Mr Floyd’s life.

Organised jointly by the Friends of the Botanic Gardens and the Australian Plant Society, people can learn how many plants have been named in honour of Alex Floyd.

“They can then find one called Endiandra floydii, or Crystal Creek Walnut, growing right next to the main path about 300 metres from the garden entrance,” said Graham.

From 10.00am to 12-noon the café will be open for a special morning tea with a bush food flavour.

“Enjoy a morning tea, by gold coin donation to the garden, hosted by the volunteer catering team.

“Try out some interesting bush food flavours with your scone.”

Many of Australia’s bush foods come from rainforest plants such as Davidson’s Plum which you can find nearby in the entrance garden area, and in the rainforest section.

“See you on Sunday,” closed Graham.

By Andrea FERRARI