CROATIAN BOTANICAL SOCIETY

History of Croatian Botanical Society

Croatian Botanical Society was founded on 18th November 2002, as a professional society gathering members who are professional or amateur botanists. Its first president was Toni Nikolić from the Faculty of Science in Zagreb, leading the Society through two mandates, altogether four years. Next two mandates (2006-2010) the Society was managed by Sanja Kovačić from the Botanical garden in Zagreb, followed by Antun Alegro from the Faculty of Science in Zagreb (2010-2014). From 2014-2018 the president was Zrinka Ljubešić from the Faculty of Science in Zagreb, followed by  Nenad Jasprica from the Institute for Marine and Coastal Research from Dubrovnik (2018-2020).

Throughout time, the Society has profiled in several continues activities. These were mainly the organisation of scientific and professional symposiums, the organization of expert-popular lectures and excursions, the publishing of professional-scientific Journal of Croatian Botanical Society (Glasnik Hrvatskog botaničkog društva) and conducting professional and scientific projects.

The Society has so far organized seven Croatian Botanical Symposiums, 11 Weeks of Botanical Gardens and Arboretums of Croatia, Symposium on the Evolution of Biodiversity on the Balkans, and several workshops (e.g. workshop on the use of Flora Croatica Database, workshop on the analysis of molecular diversity of plants, workshop on CSR strategies, ethnobotanical workshop Ethnobotany – prospects of ethnobotanical research in Croatia etc.). Society also organized four botanical excursions for its members, who had the oportunity to visit Gulf of Nin, Mt. Strahinjščica, Mt. Svilaja and Mt. Papuk.

The professional and popular lectures of botanical and related topics, held every two weeks through winter and summer semesters, are particularly popular and well received. The lectures are mostly held by Society members, introducing the audience with their botanical excursions on all continents, professional projects and study results, historical topics and biographies of famous botanists. Approximately ten such lectures are held yearly, gradually turning into regular meetings of Society members and their guests.

Society members have so far coordinated several dozens of professional projects, mostly dealing with researching and mapping the flora and vegetation of certain areas, production of educational content, ecological and other studies related to fieldwork and herbarium collections.