Orenstein argues for Israel's botanical gardens
... [A]s reported by Haaretz correspondent Zafrir Rinat this week, Agricultural Minister Uri Ariel, has decided to cut almost all funding to the botanical gardens, reducing it to a paltry 100,000 shekels (less than 10,000 shekels per garden). The garden managers have already reported that they will have to cut back and cancel many of their gardens’ educational and research programs. Apparently, Minister Ariel has decided that these gardens are not worthy of public support.
I strongly urge the minister and his personnel to take a week to tour the places they have decided to dry up. What they will find — what thousands of visitors have found before them — is that each of the gardens is a veritable jewel of ecology, botany, history and heritage.
