Association Botanic Garden
Islands of Brissago

In short

The Botanic Garden Islands of Brissago is jewel with a unique naturalistic, botanic, landscape and touristic value.
 
With the involvement of individuals, economic actors and other interested entities, the Association Botanic Garden Islands of Brissago aims at promoting an active and future oriented development of the Botanic Garden.

News

For the moment in Italian only

Conferenza 15 novembre 2024

Museo Cantonale di Storia Naturale, Lugano - 19:00 Conferenza di Stefano Marsili (autore tra l’altro di «Le orchidee spontanee della Liguria») dal titolo «Flora spontanea della Liguria - incontri floristici e vegetazionali tra flora mediterranea, continentale e alpina»

Continua

Visita guidata del 9 giugno 2024

Il Giardino Botanico delle Isole di Brissago riaprirà il prossimo 20 marzo, in concomitanza con la Festa delle Camelie.La prima attività della nostra associazione si terrà domenica, 9 giugno 2024Visita guidata di inizio stagione «Il Giardino Botanico visto dal nostro nuovo membro di Comitato», con Marco Barandun Marco è un giovane botanico entusiasta, che coniuga un lavoro di dottorato...

Continua

Programma 2024

22 febbraio 2024: Assemblea generale   28 aprile 2024 (posticipata al 9 giugno 2024):  Visita guidata di inizio stagione «Il Giardino Botanico visto dal nostro nuovo membro di Comitato», con Marco BarandunMetà ottobre: Visita guidata di chiusura «Note di etnobotanica», con Guido Maspoli15 novembre 2024: Conferenza di Stefano Marsili (autore tra l’altro di «Le orchidee spontanee...

Continua

I nostri primi 5 anni!

Il 25 ottobre scorso la nostra Associazione ha festeggiato i suoi primi 5 anni di esistenza: è una buona occasione per uno sguardo retrospettivo. Diciamo subito che il bilancio è in chiaroscuro e che la strada da percorrere è ancora lunga - sicché il vostro sostegno è più che mai necessario!  Se l‘acquisizione delle Isole di Brissago da parte del Cantone a fine 2019 ha suscitato un...

Continua

Activities

For the moment in Italian only

Per i membri dell’Associazione (e i simpatizzanti che hanno l’intenzione di aderirvi) le visite guidate sono gratuite (salvo se altrimenti indicato); il battello e l'entrata al Giardino sono sempre a carico dei partecipanti.

Le iscrizioni vanno di regola effettuate per e-mail all’indirizzo This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. entro il giorno precedente la specifica attività. In caso di tempo inclemente, le attività all’aria aperta potranno essere annullate; gli iscritti verranno avvisati per e-mail.

Visita guidata

9 giugno 2024: Visita guidata di inizio stagione «Il Giardino Botanico visto dal nostro nuovo membro di Comitato», con Marco Barandun

Conferenza pubblica

15 novembre 2024: Conferenza di Stefano Marsili (autore tra l’altro di «Le orchidee spontanee della Liguria») dal titolo «Flora spontanea della Liguria - incontri floristici e vegetazionali tra flora mediterranea, continentale e alpina» Museo Cantonale di Storia Naturale, Lugano 19:00

Visita guidata di fine stagione

Metà ottobre: Visita guidata di chiusura «Note di etnobotanica», con Guido Maspoli

Who we are

Philosophy and Objectives of the Association

The Association Botanic Garden Islands of Brissago analyzes the current situation of the Botanic Garden and develops proposals for its relaunch. The main aim is to enhance the attractiveness of the Botanic Garden at all levels in order to provide – together with the public sector – a setup that is vital, durable and sustainable on the medium run.

To this purpose, the Association intends to provide a contribution through sensibilisation campaigns, fund raising – from individuals economic actors and other interested entities, also by way of crowd-funding, and any other suitable support.

All of this in the framework of a stable private/public partnership, which shall provide the Botanic Garden with the necessary autonomy in terms of financial resources and management.

In concreto the Association intends to provide its contribution by focusing on three main areas, which are complementary to each other:

  • Scientific Botany
  • Divulgation and training
  • Direct increase of the revenues

The proposed measures in the three areas are all aimed at enhancing the attractiveness, the number of the visitors and – ultimately – the level of self-financing of the Botanic Garden.

The specific projects that the Association intends to support will be defined together with the owners of the Islands and the management of the Botanic Garden, taking into account the guidelines proposed by the Association, which will be updated from time to time.

Paeonia cambessedesii (Mediterraneo)

Paeonia cambessedesii

Executive Board of the Association

Cesare Jermini, President
Brack Hale, Secretary
Udo Schiller, Treasurer
Antonella Borsari, Board Member
Paolo Bürgi, Board Member

Founding Members

Luca Bacciarini
Antonella Borsari
Paolo Bürgi
Flavio Canonica
Agostino Clericetti
Elena Conti
Stefan Eggenberg
Peter Enz
Cesare Jermini
Pierre-André Loizeau
Brigitte Marazzi
Rachele Martini
Guido Maspoli
Sebastiano Paù-Lessi
Giò Rezzonico
Udo Schiller
Hansjörg Schläpfer
Rolf Stockmann
Joshka Tomini
Manuela Varini
Manfred Walder
Giovan Maria Zanini

The Association has been founded on 25.10.2017 in Locarno.

Introduction and historical background

The Botanic Garden and the Islands

The Garden originates from the passion for tropical plants of Baroness Antoinette de Saint Leger, who owned the Island from 1885 through 1927.
 
After two decades in the hands of the Emden family, the Islands were bought by the Canton Ticino – together with the Municipalities of Ascona, Brissago and Ronco sopra Ascona - in 1949, which established the Botanic Garden (Parco Botanico del Cantone Ticino).
 
Since 1950 the Garden is open to the public and structured according to the international standards for botanic gardens.

The Garden is located on the biggest of the Brissago Islands, on Lake Maggiore.
Thank to the Insubric climate of the region and to the thermo-regulating effect of the lake, the island enjoys an almost sub-tropical climate that allows for the cultivation of nearly 2000 species of plants on open grounds with a surface of 2,5 ha.
 
The collections consist mainly of species stemming from the five geographic areas with Mediterranean climate: the Mediterranean basin, the Cap region in South Africa, the Californian coast, the south eastern coast of Australia and the central area of Chile. Furthermore, various tropical areas, such as Central America and Asia, are represented.

A unique Garden, recognized in Switzerland and abroad

It is indeed one of the great gardens and quite complementary both in plant content and style to the other gardens on the Lake and well worth a visit.

Each time I go there I see something new and always it is very well cared for by people who are passionate about their responsibilities. […] By having gardens of such quality and international value, this will I'm sure add to the economic value of the Canton.

I hope that I shall continue to visit Isole di Brissago for many years to come and be excited at the opportunity of seeing one of the wonderful gardens on the Lake.

Jim Gardiner, former Horticultural Director and Chief Curator of all gardens of the Royal Horticoltural Society, as well as Executive Vice-President of the same

Proposals

Proposed measures to relaunch and further value the Botanic Garden

The specific projects that the Association intends to support will be defined together with the owners of the Islands, the management of the Botanic Garden and the Scientific Committee. In this process the Association will take into account guidelines, which will be translated into specific proposals concerning the three main areas (i) Scientific Botany, (ii) Divulgation and training and (iii) Direct increase of the revenues. Such guidelines and the proposed specific measures will be updated from time to time.
 
The relaunch of the Botanic Garden presupposes the presence of an executive director who, with the required skills and adequate support, shall assume a leading role in all relevant respects.

Priority measures

1

Website (and or presence on the social media) dedicated to the Botanic Garden (with detailed description of the collections, calendar of currently flowering species, botanical news, scientific and divulgative contributions, activities etc.)

2

Scientific Data bank (collections, photos, etc.) for internal purposes and as basis for an App (or book) on the Botanic Garden

3

Up-to-date botanical Labelling (geographic areas, labelling of all species and cultivars) and panels providing information on specific topics

4

Functional Glasshouses for the further development of the collections and for conservation/nature protection purposes (small island)

5

Reorganization of the Entrance/ticket office/shop (plants, books, merchandizing), possibly with glasshouse for exhibitions and/or didactic purposes (schools, courses)

Additional measures

6

Information material (excerpt from the website) for the public, the press and touristic operators

7

Catchy slogan

8

Annual activities, such as regular guided tours and temporary thematic exhibitions

9

Activities for kids; didactic offers for the schools of the Canton

10

Promotion of cooperations and intensification of the existing relationships with similar institutions

Support the association

Become a member or a sponsor

Become a member

Any individual or company interested in the purpose and aims of the Association may become a member by paying the annual membership fee that currently amounts to CHF 50.00 (CHF 20.00 for students).
 
If the membership fee is paid after the 1stOctober, then it covers also the following year.

Become a sponsor / Donate

Every further contribution by members or third parties is welcome. Contributions can be directed to specific projects supported by the Association; the Executive Committee is available to provide information at any time.
 
The Association is recognized as a non profit organization; in Switzerland membership fees and donations are fiscally privileged.

Payments and donations (via PayPal or credit card)

Banking coordinates:
Associazione Giardino Botanico Isole di Brissago
Postfinance SA, Bellinzona
Account no. 69-212283-7
IBAN: CH 19 0900 0000 6921 2283 7

Contacts

Association botanic garden islands of Brissago
(Associazione Giardino Botanico Isole di Brissago)
c/o Cesare Jermini
via Cà da Ronco 24, 6949 Comano
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

© 2017 Associazione Giardino Botanico Isole di Brissago      Privacy

Website by Meraviglioso.ch