During the first part of the Belgrade Urban Oasis 2024 project (EUNIC / Goethe-Institut Serbia), the Arboretum, which is itself a kind of oasis of exotic and indigenous tree species, opened its doors to visitors, becoming a public urban oasis, intended for and accessible to everyone within the regulations. In the frame of the project, an amphitheater in nature was formed last year that serves as an outdoor classroom. This venue for students, educational and cultural programs was constructed with the use of ecological materials, according to the project of master students of the Department of Wood Technologies. According to the same project, wooden houses/feeders for birds, insects and squirrels, as well as a bee hotel, were installed on the way from the entrance to the Arboretum to the summer classroom. Master students of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture designed a new system of paths adapted to the space. In collaboration with fine artists and students of the Faculty of Forestry, a colorful mural was painted on an auxiliary building in the Arboretum. The mural is now a new attraction and a new focal point for gathering in the space, adding a place for cultural activities and various other outdoor events. During the project, an experimental plot was established in cooperation with foreign experts, to examine the possibilities of establishing urban flower meadows in Serbian cities. This year’s program of the Belgrade Urban Oasis 2025 (Goethe-Institut Serbia) is focused on organizing cultural and educational programs (meetings, events, lectures, screenings) for permanent users, as well as for new visitors to the Arboretum. Likewise, new activities are planned to maintain and improve the functionality of this urban green oasis, and to intensify involvement of users in order to improve the quality of space in sociological and health terms and the users’ stay in the space.
