The Roots of Prominent Personalities project (in Czech “Kořeny osobností”) was launched in 2009 by planting two rare tropical orchid species. Singer Lucie Bílá and actress Anna Geislerová became our very first celebrity gardeners. Over the following ten years, they were joined by more than nine dozen prominent people.
In the last 10 years, more than 90 famous people honored the Prague Botanical Garden by supporting the Roots of Prominent Personalities project, which brings together precious natural wealth and the most important people of the world today. The goal of the project is to remind future generations not only of the unique natural heritage, but also of the great things people have achieved in culture, sports, or science.
On 7 June 2017, we opened the Trail of Prominent Personalities (in Czech "Stezka osobností") which connects individual plants from the Roots of Prominent Personalities project. In June 2018, we ceremonially introduced and launched the Roots of Prominent Personalities book, which describes the development of the project from 2009 to 2017. In the upcoming years, we would like to add even more prominent names and rare plants. After the project is finished, the trail should have 150 stops.
To date, more than 100 prominent personalities have taken part. This year, the following celebrities planted their trees: Zdeněk Hřib, the Mayor of Prague, Ester Ledecká, snowboarder and alpine skier, Adam Ondra, Czech climber, the legendary Lucky Four together with their author Jaroslav Němeček, the actress Alena Vránová, or the war veterans captain Josef Skalka, Brig. Gen. Václav Kuchynka, and RNDr. Tomáš Lom.
"It is our most important duty to care for precious natural wealth. In past centuries, however, we failed in this task and lost much of what the Earth offered us. All the more we must now realize, how many endangered plant species can still be saved and how important it is to prevent their complete disappearance. The Roots of Prominent Personalities project increases awareness about this issue and, in an attractive manner, introduces to the public rare botanical specimens that would otherwise remain unknown to most people." Bohumil Černý, Director of Prague Botanical Garden
"The famous people who have participated in the Roots of Prominent Personalities project evoke respect and admiration similar to the respect we feel when gazing at beautiful natural heritage in the Prague Botanical Garden. Many inspiring heroes have planted trees in our garden. For children, there are Hurvínek or the Little Mole; for sports fans, there are Josef Masopust or Pavel Nedvěd; and for others, there is the writer Ivan Klíma, director Miloš Forman, architect Eva Jiřičná, and many others. You and your family can meet all these big names on the Trail of Prominent Personalities. It is a unique experience, where celebrities can help you discover and admire the treasures of the plant kingdom. Through the Roots of Prominent Personalities project, both children and their parents can find their way to rare plants and trees." Darina Miklovičová, Co-author of the Project
Download the map and information leaflet for the Roots of Prominent Personalities project. The map will guide you through the whole trail. The GPS coordinates will help you find individual trees and plants, so you can learn more about them.
Next to each tree or plant, there is a board with its name and the name of the person who planted it. There is also a short description of the plant or tree and the biography, photo, and signature of the notable person.
You can find more information about this unique project in the Roots of Prominent Personalities book created by the Prague Botanical Garden. It introduces more than eighty prominent personalities and plants they have planted in the garden over the past nine years.
You can buy the book in the Fata Morgana Greenhouse. Price: 349 CZK.
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