Letter from the Board President

Like the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Botanical Garden exhibits its resiliency and continues to grow into a world-class destination. Despite this past year’s unforgiving heat wave and inclement weather during the onset of winter, the Garden flourishes for the community and because of the community. More than ever, our community sought respite from the heat in the Family Adventure Garden with its unique water feature; they escaped the heat among the orchids in our climate-controlled conservatory; and they walked under the cool canopy of the grand and majestic trees surrounding the lake. The Garden’s expansive area is San Antonio’s destination for peaceful contemplation, enjoyment, and excitement.

Since its founding in 1980, the Garden has been shaped and polished to reveal a brilliant multi-faceted gem. With the City’s support, the now privately managed cultural institution has demonstrated its ability to meticulously execute our vision as we enter the second year of our five-year strategic plan. From a model of engaged board governance, excellence in executive management, and emphasis on financial stability, we turn our focus to prioritizing the sustainability of resources, finances, infrastructure, and mission. The past year was another benchmark for how the executive team and staff fulfilled our mission of enriching lives through plants and nature with diligence and passion.

A Center for Exploration and Learning for Young People

When you look to program areas like youth education, you can clearly see our impact: we are reaching more young people than ever before. In 2022, more than 17,000 students visited the Garden through School Field Trips – far surpassing the year’s goal and exceeding our initial 2023 goal!

To our youngest visitors, the Garden is not only a fun place to engage in sensory exploration, but also an immersive 38-acre outdoor classroom Children play with mud while learning about viscosity; they observe pollinators in their natural habitat and learn the importance of conservation; they smell aromatic flowers and see how plant life is nurtured by the sun, soil, and water. The Garden piques children’s innate curiosity about the world while stimulating their minds through their engagement with the flora and fauna around them.

Imaginary Worlds Brought to Life

We are motivated to be a central arts and cultural destination in South Texas; we desire to be a source of imagination, creativity, and inspiration. We will achieve this by establishing ourselves as a center for community along the cultural corridor in San Antonio. The Garden has become a sought-after venue for artists across the country, and as we elevate to a world-class institution, we attract world-class exhibitions. Exhibitions like Steve Tobin: Rooted (2022) exemplify our commitment to showcase globally renowned artists and exhibitions that make the Garden a premiere destination and venue for our community and beyond.

Energized by the success of Rooted, we are excited to welcome the next sensational exhibition: Imaginary Worlds: Once Upon a Time, which features larger-than-life botanical sculptures created in Canada by Mosaïculture® Internationales de Montréal. Large living pieces will literally bring to life fantastical creatures and characters from a fierce dragon to a mesmerizing mermaid and many more. This intricate horticultural exhibition will be enhanced with synchronous educational programming, and we hope to draw a record-breaking number of visitors during its nine-month run.

In addition to unveiling our highly anticipated 2023 exhibition, we are proud to announce the launch of a newly redesigned Lightscape, which was generously presented last year by The Mays Family Foundation. This year’s re-imagined Lightscape will play-off of the Imaginary World’s theme to include many new light installations, as well as returning favorites like the Field of Bluebonnets. Entering its third year, Lightscape has already become an annual tradition for families to make lifelong memories. Knowing this, we plan for it to be the best Lightscape in the country!

Our community is what inspires us to grow. Our team pushes forward with momentum – innovating and adapting – to find new and exciting ways to serve. With daily events, activities, and workshops, we know that with your support, we can make the seemingly impossible, possible. Come to the Garden to play, learn, enjoy, experience, relax, and simply to be. WE look forward to hosting you in your Garden.

With gratitude,

Omar Akhil 2022 Board President

10,855

63%

OF VISITORS ARE RACIALLY OR ETHNICALLY DIVERSE

37,329

K-12 STUDENTS SERVED

13,355

SERVED THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

17,218 374

NEW MEMBERS VOLUNTEER

3,762

102

FULL-TIME & PART-TIME EMPLOYEES

HOURS ENDANGERED AND RARE PLANTS IN OUR CARE