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Brooklyn Botanic Garden 2005 Annual Report
Government and Community Affairs
Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, speaks at BBG's Spring Gala in celebration of Judith D. Zuk.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden works closely with government agencies and local elected officials to sustain funding for operating expenses and capital improvements. The Garden wishes to acknowledge and thank these friends for their significant contributions and support.
In 2004–05, BBG received critical operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of Commissioner Kate Levin. The Brooklyn Delegation of the City Council was able to allocate $150,000 to the Garden, with special help from Council Speaker Gifford Miller, who was instrumental in sustaining BBG's programs for the community. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz also played a significant role in advocating the continuation of these community services.
The commitment of $6.8 million in city capital funds enabled the Garden to move forward with several priority projects in its master plan. Major funding from the Brooklyn delegation of the City Council and the Brooklyn borough president, through the city capital budget, funded construction of the redesigned Eastern Parkway entrance, restoration of the Osborne Garden and Magnolia Plaza, and other facilities improvements around the Garden, such as new paving and new irrigation and electrical systems.
The never-flagging support of the New York State Assembly and Senate played a key role in securing a grant of $399,361 to BBG from the Zoos, Botanical Gardens, and Aquariums Program of the National Heritage Trust. BBG also received $31,480 for educational programs from the State Assembly, with special help from Joseph Lentol, chair of the Brooklyn delegation of the City Council. This was complemented by a generous allocation of $70,000 from Senator Carl Andrews for general operating support and Martin Luther King Day programming. On June 10, New York State legislators and friends and family of Assemblywoman Eileen C. Dugan joined in celebrating the restoration of the Cranford Rose Garden pavilion, which was funded by the Brooklyn delegation of the New York State Assembly in memory of Ms. Dugan. In addition to these member items, BBG was fortunate to receive a $15,000 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts for photographing and digitizing the work of BBG staff artist Maud Purdy.
The Garden continued to thrive in the federal arena as well, securing $150,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support the development of a Garden-wide interpretive master plan, which will strengthen efforts to convey to visitors the importance of plants. BBG also enjoys ongoing funding from the institute to support its role in Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment, the high school that BBG helped found in 2003. The Garden received $300,000 from the National Science Foundation to catalog the holdings of its Herbarium and to make the data for its entire collection accessible through the Internet. And BBG was very pleased to receive funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support its work with community gardens to develop sustainable gardening projects.