An escape to Egerton botanic garden

By Eric Sindabi

Botanical Gardens are sanctuaries of plants of all kinds including Trees, Flowers, Shrubs, Vines, and Herbs among others. The term Botany means study of plants while Botanical Gardens are used as parks or arboretums in urban and research centers. Such act as nature trails and recreational resorts and for providing natural environment conservation centers.

Historically Botanical Gardens evolved in ancient and modern China where naturalists and botanists owned them for raising medicinal herbs, vegetables and fruits. Indeed modern botanical gardens are common in University’s and other research centres .They provide facilities for teaching, research and environmental conservation and incorporate both plants and animals.

In 2003, Egerton University established a Botanical Garden that was meant to be a centre for teaching, research, environmental conservation and recreational facility.
A ride from the main gate towards Ngongongeri Farm within the main Campus in Njoro leads to a 300-acre beautiful landscape that is a modern Botanical Garden.
The natural environment was a brain child of a former Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Ezra Maritim who during his tenure turned the university into a greenbelt through various environmental activities. This included among others the establishment of the Egerton Botanical Garden.

The serene landscape is dotted with breath taking riparian vegetation and forest resources. Propagation of rare and threatened plant species collected from all over the country is dominant. Likewise in the line of conservation are a wide range of medicinal plants that are common in various parts of the country.
A visitor can be fascinated by camp and picnic sites of wooden seats, African thatched huts, footbridges, nature trails, ponds, dry river valleys and a watch tower.

Nature lovers can also be fascinated by exploring the forest watching guinea fowls and picking their feathers, Wild flowers and fruits and bird watching.
The sanctuary is home for animals like Snake, Tortoise, Antelope, Leopard and rare birds like Owl.

To add value to the animal collection the University recently introduced rare animals at the sanctuary .Llamas are exotic animals of the Camel family that originated in South America. The animal can be used as a beast of burden and for meat and wool production. According to the University Public Relations officer Ken Ramani, the Llama, three in number have boosted the local tourism sector as many visitors steam in at the Botanical Garden to see the rare beasts. He says the University intends to breed Llamas and introduce them to local farmers in Njoro.

Visitors at the nature reserve include the University’s Students and Staff from all the campuses that come for recreation and academic missions. Others include both local and foreign researchers and Tourists and Journalists.