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A Letter From the Chairman of the Board and President
The past year at Brooklyn Botanic Garden was filled with progress and marked by a renewed focus on the Garden's position as an ecological leader. The Garden's deep commitment to educating the public about the important role that plants play in our lives and to conservation at the local, regional, and global levels was enhanced in many ways. These included the ongoing research of BBG scientists, several exciting new titles in our long history of award-winning publications, and BBG's partnerships with organizations such as Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the national PlantWise program.
Earl D. Weiner, Chairman of the Board, & Scot Medbury, President
BBG scientists are protecting plant diversity through the New York Metropolitan Flora project. This ongoing study is carefully documenting plant species throughout the tri-state metropolitan region and identifying historic changes over time, so problems can be recognized quickly and addressed. The Garden will continue to share the results of this vital research with the scientific community and government organizations to make the case for preserving the region's native flora and the health of our local environment—one of the most complex urban environments in the world. This year, BBG also published Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants, a guide that offers strategies for reducing both public and private cultivation of the invasive species that are degrading our natural areas.
Teaching youth to understand and care for the environment is perhaps one of the most important investments we can make in the future health of our planet. In 2007, BBG involved more than 150,000 children and young adults in environmental education programs at the Garden and in schools and neighborhoods borough-wide. And in May 2007, the Brooklyn Academy for Science and the Environment (BASE), the public high school cofounded by BBG and Prospect Park Alliance, graduated its first senior class. The successes of BASE students are an affirmation of the school's unique model of teaching—a combination of rigorous science instruction, hands-on environmental field studies, and innovative internships—that offers one of the strongest science paths available to New York City students.
At the local level, Brooklyn GreenBridge is working side by side with thousands of community residents to help ensure healthy, more vibrant neighborhoods. In 2006–07, GreenBridge hosted 67 free workshops for residents and community groups on environmental topics including composting, street-tree care, and sustainable gardening. Over 12,000 seed packets, 10,000 tulip bulbs, and 430 window box kits were distributed to block associations and community gardens to green up streets and neighborhoods.
These are just a few achievements in a year that also included the spectacular blooming of an Amorphophallus titanum specimen (which drew worldwide media attention and thousands of visitors to the Garden), the acquisition of a rare and endangered Wollemia nobilis tree (the first on public display in the Northeast), and hugely popular new public programs such as the Lunar New Year Celebration and an interpretive tree trail. It was a pleasure to share the beauty of the Garden with more than 723,000 visitors over the past year.
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 2006–07.
Earl D. Weiner, Chairman of the Board, & Scot Medbury, President