Wednesday 3 June, 14:00

The Purpose of Botanical Gardens

Free, booking required

Nicolas Freyre, head gardener, oversees the garden’s living and preserved plant collections and collaborates with scientific teams on conservation and research.

This presentation examines the institution’s mission, activities, and research-driven conservation practices, highlighting a herbarium of over six million specimens, a comprehensive botanical library, and a living collection of more than 11,000 species, many rare or endangered. It explores how curated collections inform biodiversity knowledge and preservation strategies.

In French.

Chemin de l'Impératrice 1,
1292 Chambésy

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Photo Credit: Jardin Botanique de Genève

Saturday 2 May, 10:30

Jane’s walk

Cool Stuff Outdoor

Multiple locations

Walk through the streets, tracing the footsteps of women who reshaped Geneva’s public space. This urban stroll combines close-up street scenes, hidden corners and changing façades with conversational pacing and collective curiosity. Expect an accessible, low-impact route that invites reflection on how names and monuments shape city life. The atmosphere blends storytelling, communal rhythm and thoughtful observation, turning familiar pavements into a political landscape where personal histories meet everyday movement.

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28 January – 23 December

Our Biodiversity: Memory game

Lectures & Workshops

Jardin botanique

This interactive memory challenge invites participants to test their memory while exploring practical ways to preserve biodiversity based on Geneva’s municipal strategy. Players match “before-and-after” images that illustrate individual and institutional actions, and each correct pair reveals concise information explaining the measure. The activity examines themes such as habitat restoration, species-friendly practices, urban greening and policy responses, helping participants understand the impact and rationale behind everyday and organisational conservation choices.

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2 – 3 May

13th Edition of Net’Léman

Community Outdoor

Multiple locations

Net’Léman returns for its 13th edition, bringing together residents, volunteers and local groups for two days of community activities, networking and collaborative projects. Everyone is welcome to participate, exchange ideas and contribute to shared initiatives that strengthen neighbourhood ties and stewardship of the lakeside environment. The event fosters connection, learning and practical engagement through workshops, informal meetups and collective action designed to bring people together across generations and backgrounds.

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2 – 3 May

Vogue de Jussy

Community Outdoor

Temple de Jussy

An annual village fair that brings neighbours together for two friendly days of local festivities and shared moments. Open to everyone — families, friends and newcomers — the gathering features communal activities, music and convivial encounters, with a highlight being the traditional pig race. It’s an opportunity to meet neighbours, enjoy simple entertainment and celebrate community ties in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.

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28 January – 23 December

Create Your Own Rousseau-Style Herbarium

Lectures & Workshops

Jardin botanique

This workshop explores the traditional process of assembling a herbarium specimen, inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s collections. Participants learn scientific techniques for pressing and mounting dried plants on old paper, practice botanical labelling and nomenclature, and select specimens to create a personal herbarium sheet. The session examines preservation methods, identification principles and the historical context of Rousseau’s approach, combining practical skills with scientific insight to produce a lasting botanical object.

In French.

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2 – 9 May

Festival Explore Demain

Lectures & Workshops Outdoor

Multiple locations

This community festival gathers experts, artists and citizens to imagine shared futures and stimulate collective reflection. Through immersive exhibitions, debates, workshops and performances, it explores major social, environmental and urban challenges and investigates pathways for sustainable transition. Sessions examine cross-cutting themes—innovation, governance, ecological adaptation and cultural practices—offering diverse perspectives and practical insights to help audiences understand systemic issues and identify strategies for local transformation.

In French.

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The Purpose of Botanical Gardens