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A Letter From the Chairman of the Board and President
Scot Medbury, President, and Frederick Bland, Chairman of the Board
In 2007–08 Brooklyn Botanic Garden welcomed over 725,000 visitors and took exciting steps forward in its role as a resource for the community and its position as an ecological leader.
The world is changing at a rapid pace, and the need for environmental awareness and stewardship is at an all-time high. In spring 2008, the Garden embarked on a breakthrough conservation initiative with the City of New York. In response to the biodiversity threat in New York (where more than 550 native plant species are rare, threatened, or endangered), BBG scientists are helping city planners and conservationists implement programs to protect our local and regional ecology and address future environmental impacts.
In keeping with the Garden's mission to foster stewardship, BBG also provided technical assistance, street clinics, and workshops to 65,000 Brooklyn gardeners through GreenBridge, the Garden's community horticulture program. In the coming year, GreenBridge will launch the Community Garden Alliance, which will build a peer support network among greening projects in Brooklyn. GreenBridge's Street Tree Stewardship Initiative will train residents to care for the trees planted as part of Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030 to create a greener New York City.
At BBG's historic Children's Garden, young people learned to plant and harvest their vegetables just as they have since 1914. The Garden's educators welcomed thousands of school groups for free class tours; provided professional development for teachers to help them meet rigorous citywide standards for science and leadership; and offered valuable yearlong internships, job training, and mentoring to middle and high school students. And BBG staff collaborated to produce Gardening With Children, a beautiful illustrated book that helps caregivers and young people work on projects that foster an awareness of the natural world.
Visitors of all ages and from all walks of life also celebrated the seasons and the diversity of cultures at BBG's many public events, which welcomed record crowds. Through engaging workshops, readings, and performances, children and adults continue to experience the many ways in which plants enrich our lives. A lyrical time-lapse video of the spring 2008 blossoming of BBG's Cherry Walk was viewed all over the world via the internet, and the Garden's website itself drew over five million unique visitors during the year.
The growth of our community and the needs of our audience demand that BBG approach its 100th anniversary able to respond to the urgent call for beauty and renewal in urban life and for environmental stewardship at all levels of society. In the coming year, BBG will break ground on a new “green” Visitor Center to better welcome the Garden's growing base of nearly one million visitors. BBG is also creating an expanded herb and vegetable garden and developing plans for several new gardens, further ensuring the long-term beauty and vitality of its 52 acres.
We are grateful to the Garden's many members and supporters for their loyal support and generosity, and to our staff, trustees, and volunteers for their dedication, all of which have played an invaluable role in our success in 2007–08.
Frederick Bland, Chairman of the Board, & Scot Medbury, President