Andrea Lübben is head of the Botanical Garden's Administrative Office. In this interview she talks about her varied tasks, what the annual Open Day means for the garden and why the global seed exchange platform Index Seminum is so important.
We're here in the middle of the Botanical Garden, surrounded by blooming flowers, birdsong and strutting peacocks. Do you have a favourite corner in this idyllic setting?
Not so much a favourite corner, but I do love walking past the aviaries with the birds. And I love it when everything is blooming and colourful. Sometimes I take detours just to look at new flowerbeds or other features which I so far have only become aware of through the planning-phase paperwork (chuckles).
What career pathway led you here?
After leaving school, I trained as an office administrator in a software company that worked for tree nurseries and other businesses in the horticulture industry. When I applied for a job here at the Botanical Garden, the knowledge of plants I acquired there came in handy because I knew the Latin names of many plants. I've been here for 30 years now and worked my way up to head of the Administrative Office.
What are your tasks?
My work is very varied. I'm involved in looking after the more than 100,000 visitors a year we have here, answer enquiries and coordinate the sponsorship programme, in which people adopt a plant or animal for donations. I also take care of finances, personnel matters, public relations as well as requests for the use of facilities for the Grüne Schule (Green School) project and the Botanikum – our winter greenhouse which is also available for events during the summer months. I also coordinate the collaboration with our sponsor association Ilex.
You have an annual Open Day – is it a highlight for you too?
Absolutely. On Open Day we present ourselves to the general public with a mixture of fixed programme events and changing focus themes. I usually stand at the entrance of the garden and greet visitors, offer directions and give them tips on what to see, ask them how they enjoyed their visit and hand out information material. In my 30 years working here I haven't missed a single Open Day!
What are your main tasks in the winter?
Winter is one of the busiest times for me – we do the annual accounts and plan events for the coming year. We also curate our collection of seeds for Index Seminum, a global, non-commercial online seed exchange platform in which around 400 botanical gardens from across the globe participate. We mainly offer seeds from island and coastal plants. In this way we contribute to preserving plant species worldwide.
Do you spend much time in gardens in your private life?
I'm a nature lover, I have a horse and two dogs. And when I travel, I like to visit other botanical gardens, but I'm not a "botanical garden nerd" who feels the need to visit all the gardens in the world (chuckles). The Oldenburg Botanical Garden is a real gem – something truly special.
Interview: Henning Kulbarsch
