A Czech-German Green Thursday in the botanical garden

This year, Green Thursday in the InterBridge project was not only about Easter, but also about ecology and shared learning. On Thursday, 2 April 2026, we took part in the traditional “Eco Day” organised annually by the Gymnasium Christian Weise in Zittau – a school with a long-term focus on environmental topics (a so-called Klimaschule). As part of this day, students choose from a range of environmentally themed activities in smaller groups. For one of these groups, we organised a guided tour of the Botanical Garden in Liberec in cooperation with teacher Markéta Barth.

We arranged a minibus for ten students from Zittau, bringing them to Liberec in the morning and safely back after the programme. To ensure a truly Czech-German character of the meeting, we complemented the group with Czech participants – this time inviting grandparents from the University of the Third Age along with their grandchildren. This created a natural mix of generations and languages. The entire event was organised by our colleague Karolína Voleská, who ensured a smooth course of the activity – from transport and coordination to the programme itself. Participation and entrance fees were free within the InterBridge project.

The two-hour guided tour focused on ecosystems, relationships in nature and basic principles of sustainability – presented in a way that was clear and appropriate for the children’s age. The guide’s explanations were interpreted into German by Mr. Vitvar, allowing everyone to actively participate. The children responded, asked questions and clearly found the topic engaging.

A highlight was the botanical garden itself, which offers not only classic greenhouses with tropical and subtropical plants, but also less usual features – such as aquariums or passages with water installations that connect plant and aquatic environments.

There was also an unexpected bonus. At that time, a rare tropical plant, Doryanthes palmeri (Australian giant lily), was in bloom after many years. This species flowers only once in its lifetime and dies after producing seeds. In the Botanical Garden Liberec, such a bloom had last been seen approximately thirty years ago. The children thus had the opportunity to witness a truly rare natural event.

Although this was not “art” in the traditional sense, the connection between science and aesthetics was clearly present: expert explanations about plants and ecosystems were naturally combined with the visual experience of their shapes, colours and environments. Green Thursday thus became more than just a programme for children. It was a shared experience that connected Czech and German participants across generations – and these are exactly the moments that give the InterBridge project its meaning.

Hana Křížová