2021 IMPACT REPORT
We are a place where our guests can engage deeply and connect meaningfully with one another and with the natural world. Our team is focused on having a positive impact on people and the planet through horticulture, education, and plant science and conservation..
An exceptional year, 2021 saw many successes, including record-breaking visitation of over 336,000—140% greater than our previous high-water mark in 2019. This level of visitation brings with it a unique opportunity and responsibility: to teach our guests and to inspire action on climate change and biodiversity conservation. We did this with the help of some giant teachers: the Guardians of the Seeds, and I am pleased to report that 73% of our guests said they were inspired to take action on climate change after their visit.
Because our guests are so deeply impacted by the experiences they have here, we are focused on making the Gardens accessible, ensuring that all people feel like they belong. Working toward that goal, our Gardens for All program, launched in 2021, allows anyone to visit, regardless of their ability to pay.
More locally, in 2021 the Gardens had a positive impact on the state and region, contributing $42M to Maine’s economy, including 490 jobs and $15m in wages. Within Lincoln County alone we had a $24.5M economic impact.
But we couldn’t do any of this without the foundation of our gardens. Unique and phenomenal, they are the vehicle for all of our impact. We also couldn’t do any of this without you, our supporters. Thank you. Through your involvement, you make all of this possible.
Gretchen Ostherr
President & CEO
At the Gardens, we are more than a place to visit.
Access Plant Science
In 2021 we implemented Gardens for All through which those unable to meet the price of admission may visit the Gardens during our regular season at no cost.
We added 1,271 new specimens to the Herbarium for a total of 5,296, updated the records for 4,382 accessions, engraved 1,548 new labels, and completed year five of the MidCoast Flora Project.
Education Guest Experience
1,500+ adult education program registrations in 87 online and in-person classes in 2021.
OUR IMPACT
The Net Promoter Score climbed to an unprecedented 90%— our guests are having a phenomenal experience.
Climate Action Finances
73% of our guests said they were inspired to take action on climate change after their visit.
$42M in state economic impact supports 500 jobs.
3
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is dedicated to being an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible (IDEA) environment where every member of our community is valued, respected, and appreciated. We acknowledge that a society is stronger, more resilient, and more beautiful when it is diverse. We are committed to identifying and striving to eliminate barriers that, historically, have prevented the full participation of communities most impacted by inequity.
Gardens for All
In 2021, CMBG launched a pilot program to increase financial accessibility for guests. Through Gardens for All, any guest whose current financial situation limits their ability to cover admission can acquire tickets free of charge. In 2021, even without online or grassroots promoting of the program, over 1,300 guests visited through the no-cost Gardens for All program.
4
INCLUSION ACCESS DIVERSITY EQUITY
Horticulture
The gardens themselves are the heart and soul of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Our gardens move and delight our guests, promote interest in nature, and inspire hundreds of thousands of people to appreciate and cultivate the plants they see here.
Plant Science
CMBG research identifies and anticipates climate change impacts to plants, developing strategies to protect and promote them in wild and cultivated spaces.
Botanical research focuses on understanding changes and patterns in Maine’s wild plant biodiversity with emphasis on how species’ ranges are presently shifting and how to support and protect native plant biodiversity in a changing climate.
Horticultural research focuses on developing resilient new ornamental and other cultivars for northern regions that are well-adapted to a warming climate, are ecologically responsible, and support a diversity of wildlife.
We planted 45,000+ PLANTS
In 2021, we added new plants at the end of the Discovery Bridge, installed new gardens at the foot of the stone steps, planted new beds around the Apiary and Native Bee Hub, and created a new living willow wall on the border of our greenhouse.
How much material did we spread last season?
CUBIC YARDS of super humus.
CUBIC YARDS of stone dust.
110
CUBIC YARDS of aged bark mulch. 200
70
5 We propagated 3,400+ ANNUALS We propagated 6,600+ PERENNIALS
Climate Action
The Gardens remains committed to our founders’ original vision of creating meaningful connections between people and nature while making an intentional shift toward focusing on the impact we are having on people and the planet.
72% said the experience made forest conservation issues more personally meaningful for them
felt more concerned about the well-being of the forest
94%
reported that the experience made them enjoy being outside in the woods
72%
said they felt more hopeful about their ability to positively impact the environment
MADE A GIANT IMPACT
learned something new about trees or the forest
A visit to the Gardens is transformational.
of our guests are more motivated to spend time outdoors
79% are inspired to add a new plant or gardening practice to their own garden
are more aware of their impact on and relationship with nature
are inspired to take action on climate change and conserving biodiversity
6
73%
79%
84%
77%
73%
Educational Impact
Through our experiential education programs and interpretive materials, we offer opportunities to connect with nature and take action on climate change through immersive, eco-driven, and inspiring experiences available to everyone.
YOUTH AND FAMILY 90%
of participants in our youth and family programs want to return next year
“Lucy got a wonderful understanding of animal life. She watches birds at home now, is interested in finding out what lives in the river by our house, and wants to learn which plants in our yard she can eat!”
ADULT ED 96%
of students plan to implement something they learned at the Gardens at home
“Doug Tallamy is an inspiring speaker. I had heard good things about him and now I enthusiastically agree. His message about saving birds by protecting bugs by planting natives is so clear and urgent. I am wholly on-board with his mission.”
Learning Apiary 8,100+ INTERACTIONS
2,000+ PARTICIPANTS
Bibby & Harold Alfond Children’s Garden Programs
7 Native Butterfly House 95,000+ INTERACTIONS
Guest Experience
One of the top-visited destinations in Maine with hundreds of thousands of annual visitors, the Gardens’ impact changes perspectives and lives, and an incredible 96% of guests would recommend the Gardens to a friend.
“The gardens engage on many levels— physical, emotional, spiritual, sensory, intellectual—I’ve never seen so much intersectionality in one natural area. I work for Mass Audubon and took away some great ideas to transplant in MA. Thanks!”
“The gardens and entire property are quite simply beautiful, well-maintained and very peaceful to spend time in… The mission and decisions of the Gardens in terms of what is planted and the infrastructure speaks to a commitment to bio-diversity and sustainability. The staff is friendly and helpful. I have loved my visits to the Gardens each and every time I have come. Thank you for your inspired vision!”
“The gardens were absolutely stunning. Everything is done with such intention and you can really see it when you there, but you feel it deeply when you walk away and return home. Hearing our children describe their experience is proof to that.”
“This is a very special place, in a worldclass of experiences. I’ve been to botanical gardens from Capetown to Hawaii, and this ranks up there with them. The trolls take everything to an entire new level. They are magical, whimsical and inspiring.”
GUESTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
8
“I LOVE CMBG… The beauty here has a positive impact on my mental health.”
The Gardens’ 2021–2022 fiscal year achieved our highest attendance yet, with a total of 336,413 visitors, thanks in part to Thomas Dambo’s Guardians of the Seeds sculptures.
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 (expected) 50,000 100,000 150,000
108,545 103,946 114,241 100,134 50,254 83,780 248,121 88,292 99,231 198,491 Gardens Aglow* Regular Season * Gardens Aglow attendance for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons is based on four guests per car.
Gardens Attendance
200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000
9
VISITORS
Economic Impact
The Gardens continues to drive significant economic value to the state’s economy in terms of total economic output, earnings, and jobs.
CMBG plans to increase its impact in 2022–2027 with the addition of a renovated Café, Horticulture and Plant Science Center, Conservatory, and expanded Education Campus, all of which will support further increases in visitation. If visitor and revenue projections are realized, the Gardens’ economic contribution to the Maine economy in 2027 will rise proportionately, supporting a total of
640 jobs and $19.9M in earnings.
CMBG’s 336,000 visitors—the most visitors the Gardens has had in a single year since opening in 2007—spent an estimated $15 million in the Maine economy.
In 2021, the total economic contribution of CMBG in the Maine economy is estimated at $42 million in business and 490 total jobs.
10
CMBG employees hailed from 40 Maine towns and collectively earned $3.4 million in salaries
46% audience growth Digital Impact Most popular Instagram post Most popular Facebook post FACEBOOK 33% audience growth Audience grew 33% to over 75,000 Posts drew 16,736,963 views and 922,644 likes, comments, and shares Audience grew 46% to over 36,000 Posts drew 2,013,710 views and 139,882 likes, comments, saves, and sends INSTAGRAM Welcoming visitors to the Gardens is only one way that we connect with people. Our 2021 season saw big growth in online impact. WEBSITE 765,723 people visited our website, and viewed 4,941,494 pages Most popular website page 11
Volunteers
In 2021, our community volunteers logged a whopping
11,602 hours!
We couldn’t make the Gardens happen without them. It truly takes a village to make our gardens grow.
1 Troll Construction Crew Member
Volunteers assisted Thomas Dambo and his construction team in building our five larger-than-life wooden trolls. This was a unique chance to truly “make their mark” at the Gardens!
2 Troll Stationary and Roving Ambassadors
Created in response to the tremendously popular giant troll exhibit, ambassadors answer questions and managing pedestrian flow, tell guests about Thomas Dambo, his art, and how to see his work at the Gardens.
3 New Member Tour Ambassadors
Created to give new members the inside Gardens scoop, these ambassadors take new members on a tour of various Gardens offerings, from the Apiary to a troll or two, and include our best botanical features, design aspects, and a bit of Gardens history.
4 Product Packagers
Gardenshop has begun
selling seeds from the Gardens. Common milkweed provides seeds that are gathered by our horticultural staff, then our seedpackaging volunteers fill packets for Gardenshop.
5 Herbarium Specimen Volunteers
Volunteers possessing patience, attention to detail, enjoy working with fine and delicate materials, and love wild plants help glue pressed plant material and scientific labels onto paper using archival-specific tools and methods.
Volunteers spent 627 hours building trolls.
6 Butterfly House Docents
Butterfly House Docents answer questions and engage guests in the wonders of the Native Butterfly House. Training, hands-on mentoring, and shadowing keeps these volunteers filled with vast knowledge of native Maine’s butterflies.
499 VOLUNTEER HOURS for Gardens Aglow
What does it take to hang a half million holiday lights?
What were the most unique volunteer jobs of 2021?
12
Assets
FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 Property and Equipment Endowment Cash and Equivalents $33,355,647 $34,776,437 $33,758,927 $35,743,701 $3,775,990 $4,917,206 $5,775,975 $4,271,172 $2,204,530 $5,838,878 $5,778,064 $19,185,690 $42,219,402 Total Assets $44,391,305 Total Assets $44,454,198 Total Assets $58,317,312 Total Assets 13
$10,000,000 $20,000,000 $30,000,000 $40,000,000 $50,000,000 $60,000,000
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is an independent, nonprofit organization whose work is only possible with the help from generous friends and supporters. They share our passion for plants, people, and conservation, advising, inspiring, and providing the philanthropic support. They always rise to the challenge and we are infinitely grateful.
Thank You to Donors
ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN 815 individuals, 24 foundations, and 22 businesses contributed to our Annual Giving Campaign, supporting the Gardens with $730,029 in gifts. 2 Pinnacle Circle ($25,000+) 12 President’s Circle ($10,000–$24,999) 22 Director’s Circle ($5,000–$9,999) 22 Leader’s Circle ($2,500–$4,999) 63 Founder Circle ($1,000–$2,499) 73 Investor Circle ($500–$999) 88 Sustainer Circle ($250–$499) 76 Friend Circle ($175–$249) 503 Gave CAPITAL CAMPAIGN We received 37 gifts totaling $12,057,396 3 Gifts of $1,000,000+ 2 Gifts of $500,000–$999,999 2 Gifts of $100,000-$499,999 30 Gifts under $100,000 Change is in Our Nature 14
In Honor of
The following individuals were honored by friends or family who made a special contribution on their behalf to the Gardens.
Sheila Adkins
Kreshnik & Leilani
Ajetah Family
Barbara & Ted Alfond
Connie & Arthur Batson
Phil Catalano
Dick & Mary Chase Susan & Barry Cluff
Laura Conkey
Louise & Paul Cowan
Betsy Kelly
Matt Crane
Helki & Jeff Crowder
Bill Cullina
John Dice
Mr. and Mrs. William Franko
Dorothy Freed
Nancy & David Freshour
John & Sarah Giles
Kelly Hamilton
Susan & Dan Haney
Polly & Dan Harris
Anna & Richard Kellogg
Peggy Kresge
Paul Landry
Mr. & Mrs. Paul McDowell
Mollie & Wells Moore
John & Marisue Pickering
Virginia Rickeman
Robert Ristino
David & Sonja Schmanska
Chris Wood
Nancy & Jim Yardley
Dick and Maggie Zieg
In Memory of
We are grateful for gifts given in memory of the following individuals:
Gertrude M. Allen
Edward Asplundh
Ronald Bazinet
Betty Blanchard
Julie Dimperio Holowach
David Emery
Andrea Ericson
Mary Lavinia Fredricks
Robert Gilbert
Melissa Glasgow
Jacqueline’s grandmother
Rollins A. Hale
Ann Hilliard
Rebecca and Thad Hutcheson
Bud Joy Peter Keefe
Dick King Yvette Kurtz
Deborah Lee Barbara Lutz
Patricia Marston
Katie Maser
Lisa Michaud
Cheryl Findlay Mother
Louise Mowry
Gertrude Notman
Florence Pene Rosenberg
James Peters
Jeffrey Raymond
Patricia Ann Reid
Betsy & Nat Saltonstall
Stuart Simel
Merlin Smith
Bill Sobanik
John St. Peter
Jane Taylor
Miss Emelie Tolley
Lawrence Townley
Annabelle Walz
Lynn Leonora Wathen
Mary Ann “Mimi” Webb
Grayce Young Reich
Eduard Ziegenhagen
grateful for every gift that made unique programming possible in 2021. Some of these special gifts allowed us to:
We
1 Digitize the Herbarium 2 Purchase
accessible
3 Update
irrigation
4 Bring
schoolchildren on
trips 5 Fund our
program 6 Fund The Caterpillar Lab 7 Build our Learning Apiary THANK YOU! 15
are
a new
golf cart
our
systems
hundreds more Maine
field
Internship
Board of Directors
Mary Neal, Chair
Paul Goodof, Chair-Elect and Treasurer
Barbara Alfond, Vice-Chair
Judy Parkhill, Vice-Chair
Ann Poole, Secretary
John Auber
Karen Bartholomew
Stephen Blatt
Geoff Chatterton
Jon Fauver
Jeff Long
Keith Mestrich
Helen Norton
Mark Osborn
Kirsten Poler
Margaret Reiser
Beth Renyi
David Rines
Errin Siagel
Tish Stoneburner
Paula Swetland
Warren Winslow
Susan Russell, Ex Officio
DIRECTORS EMERITI
John Giles
Claire Hunt, Ph.D.
Donna Burkhardt
Daniel Lerner
Updated September, 2022.
