We live in an age where print budgets are slashed and many discussions center around digital strategies for communications and marketing. While it's true that if you aren’t thriving in the digital world you probably aren’t thriving, print publications...

Nonprofits are challenged with identifying audiences and understanding motivations. Finding ways to start a conversation, collect contact information, and encourage joining/giving is critical. Using data to uncover trends and point to opportunities is...

With the aim of better understanding audiences, catering to people’s needs, and staying relevant to people’s lives in a rapidly changing world, three institutions look to uncovering visitors’ motivations as a guide. Denver Botanic Garden, Newfields,...

BackOffice Thinking presented at the 2018 annual conference on effective ways for gardens to further engage visitors on their website and intergrate what is happening on the ground with what users can find online. 

This presentation from the 2018 annual conference covers common materials and objects found in public gardens as well as means of deterioration and damage and some suggestions for remediation. The speaker focuses on artworks and decorative elements and...

As President of the Wildlife Habitat Council, Margaret O'Gorman helps companies find value in natural resources conservation and mainstream biodiversity across operations.  She works with multinational corporations to develop integrated...

This presentation from the 2018 Small Gardens Symposium presented by Shane Smith, Director of Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, will cover how to enlist community support, work with elected officials and volunteers to bring a grand vision into reality...

Presented at the 2018 Small Gardens Symposium by Shane Smith, this presentation looks at low-cost solutions to common public relations and marketing needs. Among the topics discussed are membership strategies, master planning, publications,...

Presented by Karen Christeson of Idaho Botanical Gardens at the 2018 Small Gardens Symposium, this presentation will cover how to build a dynamic volunteer program that establishes lasting relationships and successful experiences. 

This presentation from NOAA provides examples of severe weather events and what was done to prevent harm and get people to safety. It provides many steps you need to consider when planning and preparing large events for emergency scenarios like severe...

Mount Auburn, Laurel Hill, and Green-Wood, all established in the 1830s in Boston, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn respectively, were the first three “rural cemeteries” in the nation. As we look to the future where climate change portends massive...

Construction projects are inevitable in public gardens, whether it is a new build or restoration. The common tendency is to anticipate the construction will result in negative consequences. When Longwood Gardens’ most iconic and historically...

In this multi-speaker presentation, we will discuss how to create a seasonal horticultural display throughout an institution. The session will focus on institution wide approaches of creating “themes” in the displays, which includes fusion of...

Audience demographics influence many aspects of public garden operations and can be segmented in numerous ways to address a variety of goals. Increasingly, public gardens are becoming aware of their considerable potential and responsibility in...

What are the best questions to ask in an interview to tease out the strengths you are seeking? How do you keep your Visitor Services team motivated, energized, and positive 100% of the time? How do you manage effective teams that will remain in service...

The Steppe Garden at Denver Botanic Gardens is an integral piece of a broader research agenda to build and disseminate knowledge on the plants and ecology of the world’s major steppe regions. Steppes host some of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes...

Artist in Residence programs have been popular in the art world for some time, but few gardens take advantage of this opportunity. Residency programs can provide institutions with new ways of looking at their living and non-living collections, develop...

The Institute of Museum and Library Services offers a variety of grants that are great resources for public gardens. The grant application process can be rigorous, and managing grant projects successfully requires careful planning and resource...

Social media is an important element of marketing to Millennials. However, some public gardens lack a strategic social media plan and those with a plan may lack confidence in its efficacy. How can public gardens tailor social media strategies to engage...

Each Garden has a geographic, demographic, and behavioral footprint they want to focus on. Going digital has made this process easier, more exact, and provided more reliable tools to track return on investment. There are many options to choose from,...