Letter from the Director

Dear Arboretum Friends,

This newsletter is about all that’s new at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, from the Wallace Desert Garden opening to new initiatives in our Horticulture Department.

While we have much to celebrate, the state of our world seems daunting. I am not one for New Year’s Resolutions. They sound good, and they make you feel good, but rarely do we really keep them for any length of time. However, with the latest climate news— animal species going extinct, sea levels rising, extreme wildfires—I’ve been thinking about resolutions we can promise to the earth and to ourselves.

I’ve also been thinking about what all of us at Boyce Thompson Arboretum can promise to you, our members. Our mission, of course, is to conserve and educate—to do our part to protect our little piece of the earth, home to our plant collections and all the wildlife that lives here. We want to impart the knowledge that we have—to inspire stewardship and even love for our landscapes. Knowledge facilitates connection. Knowledge encourages us to pay attention. If we don’t know which plants and animals live in our backyards—if we can’t name them—how will we care about them, or protect them from threats?

Here is what we promise to you at the New Year. We will hold this place—Boyce Thompson Arboretum— for you. You will be able to gain knowledge here. We will hold its beauty, and its value, for you. When so many of us are not hopeful for the future of our planet, Boyce Thompson Arboretum will be here to remind you—and me—of the healing power of nature, and of our ability to care for the earth.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to be out in nature more often, consciously connecting to other living things, so that I can truly live a life of stewardship.

To all our members—I wish you a New Year of health, peace, and joy, surrounded by nature. And I hope to see you all at the Wallace Desert Garden Opening!

Onward!

Lynne Nemeth Executive Director Boyce Thompson Arboretum