Royal Botanic Garden Jordan

The new Royal Botanic Garden aims to showcase Jordan's surprisingly varied flora and highlight best practice in habitat conservation. The site, which overlooks the King Talal Dam, spreads over 180 hectares, with a variation in elevation of 300m, allowing it to reproduce Jordan's main habitat zones – pine forest, oak forest, juniper forest, the Jordan Valley and freshwater wadi. Check the website for access details, as the garden only erratically opens to the public. The RBG aims to become a key research foundation, with a seed bank and herbarium (set up with the help of Kew Gardens in London; its virtual version can be browsed online), as well as teaching organic farming and permaculture techniques. The garden also has an outreach program with local farming communities. Volunteers who wish to work at the RBG are welcomed.