Public Gardens have a unique opportunity to touch the lives of young people in their communities through paid job training programs. While traditional internships offer training on an individual level, some job readiness programs offer the experience...

Trees are one of the most important display pieces in every Garden due to their size, presence, and impact on light levels. In this session, two horticulturalists who are experts at tree care will tackle two major issues in Public Gardens—construction...

We are often faced with ethical quandaries in our professional lives, and charting the best course of action can be challenging. In the context of plant collections curation, such ethical conundrums may involve matters of collections monetization,...

Sustainable international collaborations involve a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship that is frequently unique to both institutions. Each of the presenters in this session have distilled the essence of success and come prepared to share with...

While many municipalities have seen a return of commercial and residential investment, too many remain mired in cycles of poverty, community degradation, poor quality education, and unemployment. Public gardens cannot by themselves reverse these long-...

The Blue Agave (Maguey Azul, Agave tequilana) is an example of a very important plant in Mexico’s history, culture, and commerce. For over two hundred and fifty years, the national drink of Mexico has been produced in and near Tequila, Jalisco....

Many public gardens get started, or undertake an expansion, then find themselves unprepared for success. A panel of three garden directors and a master planning expert will address the difficulties that success creates by offering advice and examples...

A well-developed trialing program can benefit a public garden, its visitors, and the horticulture industry as a whole. Successful plants with proven performance create beautiful displays that engage the public and showcase the living landscape. The...

Continuing education staff are often charged with increasing audience reach while simultaneously generating revenue for their institution. Achieving these seemingly opposed goals requires a wide variety of approaches, including partnerships, creative...

Public garden living collections are dynamic and often the best efforts of plant recorders cannot keep pace with the volume of new arrivals, transplants, propagation, phenology observations, and removals. An informal study at Chicago Botanic Garden (...

Today, our visitors have many more choices on where they reconnect with the natural world. How can you best use your mission to set your garden apart? Can a new mission allow your garden to fluctuate from or see a new foundational mandate? Join...

GM plants are the result of one of the most rapidly adopted plantbased technologies ever deployed. In the U.S. alone, hundreds of millions of people and billions of farm animals have been consuming products from these crops for more than 15 years. GMOs...

Centennial Trees is a nine-year-old outreach program of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens that educates the community on the importance of planting locally-sourced native tree seedlings in public spaces. Trees selected for the program are determined to...

Museum Hill in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is home to the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, four varied museums, the largest annual gathering of international folk artists, and the National Park Service. Three years ago these diverse organizations came together to...

Jerusalem Botanical Gardens has pioneered a change in the role public gardens play in their community. A large part of their social programming is dedicated to rehabilitation programs for demographics that are specific to the geographical location:...

This full-day workshop guides participants through both a big picture overview of Core Documents and on-the-ground details necessary to propel garden museums along the continuum of excellence. This participatory environment walks through the...

Fundraising is a team sport. What is the role of the Executive Director in fundraising? How does s/he engage the appropriate key players, the chief development officer and other development professionals, in building a highly effective partnership? It...

Corporations can be the most difficult of relationships to cultivate - and keep. A CEO, a Campaign Consultant and Executive Director discuss the entire process. Learn how to qualify your corporate prospects and create a meaningful case for support. You...

In 2015, The Morton Arboretum decided to shake things up with a full assessment of volunteer engagement in fundraising programs. Kathleen will discuss the benefits of Arboretum efforts to “shake up, not just stir” long-standing volunteer committees....

A robust major gift program begins with a strong mid-level giving program. Building your annual gift pipeline will include connecting with new donors, good stewardship, willing leadership volunteers, informative data and a strong organizational plan....