TCM Medicinal Plants Learning and Research Garden

At a glance
- Project leader : Regula Treichler Bratschi
- Co-project leader : Nina Zhao-Seiler
- Deputy of project leader : Nils Honetschläger
- Project team : Janine Bossi, Thomas Kimmich, Dr. Andreas Lardos, Pascale Wespi Stutz
- Project budget : CHF 20'000
- Project status : ongoing
- Funding partner : Other (TCM Fachverband Schweiz)
- Project partner : Dr. Noyer Apotheken AG, Bollwerk Apotheke AG, Lian Chinaherb AG, TCM Fachverband Schweiz, Chiway AG, St. Peter Apotheke Zürich, Biomedica GmbH
- Contact person : Regula Treichler Bratschi
Description
The TCM Medicinal Plant Garden was developed in 2016 by the Institute for Environment and Natural Resources in collaboration with the Swiss TCM Association and the Phytopharmacy and Natural Products Group of the Institute of Biotechnology and Chemistry at the ZHAW. To date, the garden comprises around 130 Chinese medicinal plants, which are planted out in various living areas in the garden. For the IUNR and ICBT, the TCM garden is the basis for teaching and research projects of various kinds. On the one hand, research is being conducted in this medicinal plant garden, which is designed as a narrative environment, on learning arrangements for imparting knowledge about medicinal plants to a wide range of stakeholders. These include ZHAW students (IUNR and ICBT), who use the garden for teaching in various modules or work on specific questions in LA, SA or BA theses. On the other hand, various training organisations use the garden for students of Chinese phytotherapy. The collaboration with the Swiss TCM Association, which initiated and helped to build the garden, aims to exchange training programmes, conduct joint research projects and apply jointly for project grants, and raise awareness of the discipline of traditional Chinese medicine among the general public together with the ZHAW.