In September, I had the privilege of attending the 7th Global Botanic Garden Congress held in Melbourne, Australia, hosted by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. The meeting, organized through Botanic Gardens Conservation International, brings together botanic garden professionals from across the globe who are all passionate about plant conservation. This is the second Global Congress I have had the opportunity to attend. </p> This was my first trip to the Southern Hemisphere, and I landed on the first day of spring. After spending a few days adapting to the time change, I kicked off the conference with a full day field trip exploring local sites. We started with a trip to the Geelong Botanic Garden</a>. Their newly finished Australia garden beautifully showcases the varied ecosystems of the continent. </p> The afternoon consisted of several stops in the Anglesea Heath and a lunch break at a coastal golf club with wild kangaroos dotting the driving range. We were graciously hosted by the local Anglesea botanical club where we spied tiny terrestrial orchids, many varieties of Acacia and many additional plant genera that were all new to me. I enjoyed getting a feel for the ecosystem on our walk to the coast overlooking Bell’s Beach. The field trip provided for an opportunity not only to see the local flora and areas outside of Melbourne, but to meet and get to know other conference attendees.</p> The conference kicked off at the Melbourne convention center with a ceremony by local aboriginal representatives, who welcomed 500 delegates through song and dance. The three days of meeting were filled with talks, poster presentations, workshops and conversation focused on the theme “Influence and Action: Botanic gardens as agents of change.” There were talks highlighting conservation horticulture, education and engagement around conservation and climate change, and global strategic planning on how to enhance our collective impact for plant conservation. </p> As a participant in the Ecological Restoration Alliance Symposium focused on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, I presented on our Chatfield Farms</a> riparian and meadow restoration projects. I also presented a rapid-fire talk on the North American Botanic Garden Strategy for Alpine Plant Conservation, encouraging attendees to use our strategy as a model for protecting vulnerable ecosystems in their region. </p> The meeting was over too quickly, and I wish I had the opportunity to learn and network more, but that is the nature of a good conference. It leaves you exhausted and thirsting for more. </p> I stayed on in Australia for a week after the conference ended. I was lucky enough to camp in the temperate rainforest with koalas walking through our campsite, to hike along the Great Ocean Walk and to see the Twelve Apostles</a>. I put my toes in the Southern Ocean, saw platypus in the wild, visited the little penguins on Phillip Island</a> and made sure to spend time at both host gardens: Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne</a> and Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne</a>. </p> I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the congress. I have new ideas of how to connect Denver Botanic Gardens to the broader conservation community for greater impact and reinforced professional connections with colleagues from across the globe. I look forward to the next Congress to be held in Singapore in 2024. </p>
Restoration is an integral part of land management and conservation. As natural disasters and human activity continue to impact biodiversity and wildlife habitat, it is becoming increasingly important to restore degraded land back into healthy ecosystems. Here at Denver Botanic Gardens, many scientists conduct research on ways to improve how we restore native plant communities in the Front Range. This year, I conducted this type of research down at Chatfield Farms, using native plant species brought in from all over the Western United States to see how well they grow here in Colorado. </p> With the help of many of the Research & Conservation Department’s wonderful seasonal staff, we planted over 5,000 seedlings from four different species native to the Front Range of Colorado and collected data on how the plants grew over the summer. We were pleased to see that they all did quite well in their first year! After just a few months in the ground, our seedlings were big and happy, which is good news for restoration efforts. Each seedling will continue to be monitored over the next several years to see how they perform long-term. </p> With climate change on the horizon, it’s important for land managers, like the Bureau of Land Management, to know what plants will survive here long term. Often it can be helpful to use species that are native to Colorado, but use of plants or seed that come from hotter and dryer regions in the county can help them to better adapt and survive long-term as temperatures get warmer and rain becomes less frequent. Other times, it is best to use plants or seeds that have been growing as close to the restoration site as possible, so that they are already well adapted to the environment they will be growing in. Knowing where to source plants from and where to plant them is an important research topic for bringing back native plant communities to Colorado! </p>
Check your calendars and get inspired for a party! All kinds of get-togethers are welcome, and our spaces can accommodate any size, small or large. The Gardens is an ideal venue for weddings, company picnics</a>, baby or bridal showers, holiday parties</a> and more. We offer traditional indoor spaces with A/V capabilities and some charming non-traditional spaces, such as the solarium, Water Garden Gazebo and Orangery (see gallery below). Talk to our event staff at York Street to help guide you to find a space</a> that will make your event extraordinary.</p> Our gardens are stunning any time of the year: in springtime with armloads of bright tulips, during the winter while covered with sparkling snow, abundant with blossoms in summer and with flourishes of color and crispness in autumn. Booking an event with us gives your guests access to explore our beautiful 24 acres. Hosting an event here will dazzle your guests.</p> Popular dates, weekends and certain spaces fill up quickly, so get in touch with us soon! Fill out our rental inquiry form</strong></a> or reach out to our team at York Street at private.events@botanicgardens.org</a> or call 720-865-3551.</p>
Planning your event can be stressful, with a host of moving parts, people and details to coordinate. But with proper planning and the use of fun and memorable vendors your event can stand out. Follow these easy tips to create an event that not only saves you the headache of coordinating but that also “wows” your guests with an experience they won’t soon forget. </p> Give your guests not just an event, but an experience. </h4> To make your event stand out, offer an experience rather than just a space. Although having a great venue can help make a great event, you may want to tour some of our add-on spaces to offer your guests a variety of engaging environments and experiences. At the Prairie Garden Terrace</a>, you and your guests can cozy up around the fire pit to watch as the sun dips behind the mountains. Or sip fine cocktails under the canopy of a tree twinkling with warm market lights. We are also proud to offer our newly finished Lavender Garden pergola, situated next to the butterfly house. Be surrounded by a field of lavender while overlooking the historical Hildebrand Ranch. If you’re planning your event in the fall or winter, you can take advantage of Corn Maze</a> and Trail of Lights</a> to add an extra special experience. </p>
