Letter from the Director
Dear Arboretum Friends, Welcome to our new and improved Member Newsletter—now BTA’s Member Magazine. We had to take a little hiatus as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but we have returned! Thank you for your patience. While this issue of our magazine is also doubling as our Annual Report, future issues will include more briefs about what we are doing, as well as news about conservation issues that affect all of us. As you’ll read in this magazine, we’ve had a challenging year—but overall a good one. You’ve stayed with us and supported us through these tough times, and we are so appreciative. We were able to stay open, and you visited. We established guidelines for visiting, and we thank you for helping to keep all of us safe and healthy. You’ll note that we have entered into a new strategic planning process, our first as an independent entity! We have had many discussions about who we are and what is important to us. What values guide BTA? One phrase that keeps resonating with me is: “All living things are inter-related and interdependent.” As I spend more and more time here, I see that every day. Plants are foundational to ecosystems. Our health and the health of all wildlife depends on plants. We are indeed providing an oasis here, and I’m grateful that we are able to do so. All the creatures here—from lizards to our latest baby javelinas—are important and deserving of protection. Thank you for helping us, and them. Onward!
Lynne Nemeth Executive Director Boyce Thompson Arboretum P.S. As it gets cooler, we look forward to seeing you here, especially now that the Wallace Desert Garden is open.
