The Public Gardens Sustainability Index is a suite of attributes intended to inspire gardens to advance their own garden sustainability programs and operations to further the mission of their institution while connecting to local, national, and global sustainability efforts. The Index shares examples of how gardens are contributing to best practices in sustainability.
The Sustainability Index Webinar series was kicked off in July with a Lunch and Learn presentation giving an overview of the Sustainability Index and the upcoming webinar series by Alexis Bacon, Coordinator of the Sustainability Index. See that presentation here.
This webinar series aims to share stories from gardens who are currently participating in the Sustainability Index, and provide further insight and guidance for gardens wishing to improve their sustainability practies. There will be one webinar on a different sustainability topic every month from July 2021 through June 2021. Each webinar includes a 1 hour 15 minute webinar featuring presentations from member gardens achieving excellence in sustainability work, followed
by an optional 30 minute Sustainability Insight session to engage in small group conversation and receive advice on your sustainability goals from the presenting speakers and webinar sponsor IrisBG.
July 20th- Biodiversity and Conservation
In this webinar, you'll learn more about how your garden can enhance its biodiversity and conservation goals. Gardens worldwide engage in biodiversity and conservation work through wild collecting trips, preserving specimens in herbaria and seed banks, championing research programs to learn about at-risk plants, and protecting and propagating native plants throughout their region as well as in their own gardens. This webinar is available for purchase on-demand here.
August 17th- Sustainable Community Development
Join us during this webinar to learn more about how your garden can enhance its sustainable community development goals. Gardens across the globe are learning how they can better serve and engage their communities with the goal of increasing visitation, support, and interest in their garden. This webinar is available for purchase on-demand here.
September 14th- Climate Adaptation and Risk Management
Join us during this webinar to learn more about how your garden can enhance its climate adaptation and risk management goals. You'll learn about how to adapt your plant collection to the threats of climate change including extreme weather, temperature changes, and invasive insects. Our gardens will discuss their policies and procedures for their living collections, and how they are researching and tracking phenology, invasive species, weather changes, and other threats to plants related to a changing climate. We will hear from presenters at Arnold Arboretum and UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden; two gardens that are excelling in Climate Adaptation and Risk Management. This webinar is available for purchase on-demand here!
October 12th- Water Quality & Consumption
Join us during this Sustainability Index Series webinar to learn more about how your garden can enhance its water quality and consumption goals. You'll learn how gardens are managing water on site to reduce their reliance on municipally supplied water through reuse and reduction. In addition, our gardens will discuss their tactics for water management such as stormwater basins, irrigation systems to reduce water use, plant choices, rain gardens, green roofs, and gray or wastewater treatment on site through phytoremediation. Register here.
