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MASTER PLAN 2020 UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
MASTER PLAN 2020 200 Centennial Drive Berkeley, CA 94720-5045 Phone: 510-643-2755 Email: garden@berkeley.edu http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu Š 2014 UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley Updated: 10/15/2014
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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TABLE OF CONTENTS LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OVERVIEW OF MASTER PLAN 2020
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INTRODUCTION 4 MAP OF THE GARDEN 5 THE GARDEN AND ITS PLANT COLLECTIONS 6 THE MASTER PLAN 13 The Plant Collection 15 Conservation and Research 17 Education and Interpretation 19 Capacity Building 21
APPENDICES 23 Notable Garden Milestones 24 Summary of Capital Needs 26 Garden Staffing Structure 28
King Protea Protea cynaroides
Photo by Melanie Hofmann
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR It is with great pleasure that I introduce the Master Plan 2020 for the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley. Our last Master Plan was created in 1982 and, as I look back on that plan, I am astounded at how many of its “visionary” proposals have actually been accomplished. The Garden today is markedly different from 1982, with major changes to infrastructure, facilities, staffing, funding, education, and membership. The Garden has over 120 years of history, with over 90 of them at its present site, halfway up Strawberry Canyon. The Garden began in 1890 as a research unit for the Botany Department; today it reports to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. It first opened to the public around 1970, and today serves both the University and the general public through its research, conservation, education, and interpretive programs.
Tropical Pitcher Plant Nepenthes sp. Photo by Melanie Hofmann
The Garden occupies a unique niche among the country’s public gardens. With more than 9,000 species, it is one of the most diverse plant collections in the country and it is unequalled in the high percentage of wild-collected material with recorded sources, making its collection invaluable to botanical research and conservation. While our Garden is certainly beautiful, it serves a different function than many “display” gardens. Our primary mission remains one of curated plant collections for research, education both on and off campus, conservation of endangered species, and public appreciation of the diversity of plant life. We now face new economic challenges. In the 1970’s, the University provided almost all the Garden’s funding. Today, the campus funds only one-third of our operating budget, down by half from only 10 years ago. We are not alone in these challenges – the University itself now receives only a small fraction of its funding from the State and many components of the University are struggling to increase self-sufficiency. Generation of funds through membership, grants, endowments, and other revenue sources will be increasingly crucial to the Garden in the years ahead. I am pleased to say that our collection is thriving through the extraordinary efforts of our dedicated horticultural and curatorial staff and volunteers. Nonetheless, we are also faced with an aging infrastructure in a time of increasing economic challenge for the University. Many new initiatives to provide both program and structural improvements will be needed in the coming years. In this Master Plan, we present a path to the future. Paul Licht Director UC Botanical Garden UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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OVERVIEW OF MASTER PLAN 2020 The Garden’s Master Plan 2020 for the University of California Botanical Garden lays out our vision of what should be accomplished in the near future. It is based on input from all of the Garden’s interested constituents – administration, horticulturists, faculty, volunteers, and the public at large. It implements the Garden’s 2011 Vision Plan, as evaluated in the March 2012 Vision Plan Progress Report. The purpose is to identify specific goals and strategic steps toward implementing the Vision Plan. We describe the history of the Garden and the existing collections that make up the Garden, and then present goals and steps designed to address each of the Garden’s major objectives: • Preservation, protection, and expansion of the collection itself. • Conservation of endangered species,and participation in plant research. • Interpretation of the collections for educating the general public, University students, and students of local schools. • Capacity building -- developing means by which the Garden can sustain itself in the face of decreasing State and University funding.
Red Pitcher Plant Sarracenia hybrid
In the Appendices, we provide a more detailed history of the Garden, list the major capital projects put forward in the Master Plan, and provide an organizational chart of current Garden staffing.
Photo by Melanie Hofmann
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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INTRODUCTION OUR MISSION
To develop and maintain a diverse living collection of plants to support teaching and worldwide research in plant biology, further the conservation of plant diversity, and promote public understanding and appreciation of plants and the natural environment.
From its beginning, the Berkeley campus has been landscaped with a diversity of plant materials. By 1875, more than 500 species of native and exotic trees and shrubs were present, and the campus itself could have been considered an arboretum if not quite a botanical garden. It was not until 1890 that space was provided for a full-fledged botanical garden on campus. Although that was eventually not to be its permanent site, it marked the beginning of a University commitment to maintain what has since become a unique and important resource. A building program on campus required relocation of the Garden, and in the 1920’s, Strawberry Canyon was selected for a new location. The organization of the collections by geographical affinity, rather than by groupings of taxonomic relationship or economic usage, was a major departure from the traditional layout of botanical gardens. Plants of horticultural origin were gradually replaced by corresponding species from wild sources, thus improving the research potential of the collection and providing the basis of the strong scientific collection now present. For many years the Garden’s principal functions were in support of botany instruction and scientific research. Beginning in the 1970’s, the Garden expanded its outreach to a wider community, and became the only one of six natural history museums at Berkeley that is open to the public. Educational programs were developed for school children, and a docent program was instituted to educate school students, UC students, and the general public. However, the maintenance of a curated collection focused on research and conservation has always remained a primary emphasis. (A more complete history of the Garden and its changes is given in the Appendix to this Master Plan.) Recently the University has recognized this expansion of the Garden’s mission by committing to creating a full-time position for the Garden’s next Director. When the Garden was fully supported by the University, the traditional arrangement was to have the Director position filled by a faculty member with a half-time commitment to the Garden. The significant teaching and research responsibilities of a faculty member are no longer compatible with the Director’s responsibilities, now that the Garden must raise more than two thirds of its operating budget. Today the Garden is maintained by 28 staff members and some 325 volunteers. These volunteers work as docents, propagators for plant sales, horticulturists, librarians, gift shop sales staff, advisory board members, and a variety of other tasks needed to run the Garden. Volunteers contributed more than 15,000 hours in 2013, and the Garden could not function without them. The Garden plantings are arranged according to the nine geographical regions from which they were collected. There are also several ethnobotanical and specialty collections indicated. The large map below shows the locations of these regions and collections in the Garden.
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
5 UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
Mission: To develop and maintain aITS diverse living collection of plants to support teaching and worldwide research in plant biology, THE GARDEN AND PLANT COLLECTIONS further the conservation of plant diversity,
and promote public understanding and appreciation of plants and the natural environment.
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MEDITERRANEAN
9. Garden of Old Roses
Pine/Oak Woodland
SOUTH AMERICA
8. Crops of the World Garden
Bamboo Grove
Research & Propagation
AUSTRALASIA Japanese Pool
ASIA
7. Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden
Lawn
6. Herb Garden
SOUTHERN AFRICA
3. Orchids, Ferns & Carnivorous Plant House
Tour Deck
2. Arid House & Xerophytic Fern Display
Conference Center 5. Tropical House 4. Cycad & Palm Garden
DESERTS OF THE AMERICAS
The Garden Shop
Cloud Forest
EASTERN NORTH AMERICA
S T R A W B E R
Julia Morgan Hall
Pygmy Forest Vernal Pool
Volunteer Center
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Key to Plant Labels Family Name
Accession # Year/Order Received
common name Scientific Name
Berkeley
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY Special Collections Legend
1.1Water Wise Entry Garden
2. Arid House & Xerophytic Fern Display
3. Orchids, Ferns & Carnivorous Plant House
Main Path
Bus Stop
Wide Path
Parking Lot
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THE GARDEN AND ITS PLANT COLLECTIONS The Garden occupies 34 acres in Strawberry Canyon, in Berkeley, California. The nature of the canyon and the elevation gradient (from 660 to 880 ft.) provide a wide range of exposures and micro-climates, providing opportunities to successfully grow plants from around the world. This elevation also puts the Garden above the inversion layer and thus mitigates effects of smog. The temperatures are generally mild, with an average daytime range of 55 to 80 deg. F, and are seldom below freezing at night. On an average of every 20 to 30 years, freezing temperatures can occur with damage to some plants. Annual rainfall is typically 26 inches. As the local climate is Mediterranean, with cool wet winters and warm dry summers, the Garden is ideally suited for plants from the five “Mediterranean” climates around the world – Mediterranean Europe, Western Australia, the west coasts of South America, Southern Africa, and especially California. The mild conditions are also suitable for plants from many other areas of the world, including temperate Asia, Eastern North America, and some deserts. Other collections are housed in greenhouses to suit their particular needs – Arid House, Tropical House, and the Orchid, Fern, and Carnivorous Plant House. In addition, the Garden possesses a large coast redwood grove with understory plants. The collections are one of the most diverse in North America, numbering nearly 19,000 accessions of over 12,000 different kinds of plants. Over 2,000 of these are rare and/or endangered in habitat. Nine major geographic collections are featured: Asia, Australasia, California, Eastern North America, Mediterranean, Mexico/Central America, New World Desert, South America, and Southern Africa. Specialty and ethno-botanical collections are also represented.
Tree Rhododendron Rhododendron arboreum Photo by Melanie Hofmann
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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THE GARDEN AND ITS PLANT COLLECTIONS continued The arrangement of the outdoor collections is primarily geographic by region:
Asian Area Temperate climate plants from China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea are the mainstay of this collection. An outstanding array of species rhododendrons is featured, as well as many camellias, maples, and hydrangeas. Photo by Marion Brenner
Australasian Area Plants from New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific Islands are featured in this collection. Ancient biogeography connections with South American plants are displayed in proximity to that collection. Tree ferns Dicksonia spp.
Photo by Marion Brenner
Californian Area This area showcases the state’s extraordinarily rich native flora. Several of California’s most interesting plant associations are recreated, including a pygmy forest, vernal pool, redwood forest, and alpine fell-field. California poppy Eschscholzia californica
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THE GARDEN AND ITS PLANT COLLECTIONS continued
Eastern North American Area Resembling an eastern woodland (east of the Mississippi), this area is characterized by a great variety of trees with substantial woodland understory. It is a unique assemblage in the western USA. Orange coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida
Mediterranean Area The diverse flora of the Mediterranean Basin is rich in lavenders, oreganos, and thymes. The region gives its name to the five Mediterranean-climate regions of the world that are featured in the Garden.
Mexican/Central American Area This collection is particularly rich in agaves, oaks, magnolias, and salvias. These and many other genera are presented in cloud forest and pine/oak woodland plant communities. Its’ year round flower displays stand out in winter. Flowering dogwood Cornus florida urbiniana
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THE GARDEN AND ITS PLANT COLLECTIONS continued
New World Desert Rich in cacti, succulents, and herbaceous desert dwellers, the plants are from North, Central, and South American deserts. Many of these plants were collected during Garden-sponsored expeditions to the Andes (1930s-1960s). Echinopsis spp.
South American Area This is the most diverse collection of South American plants in the United States, with a large basis from the Garden’s expeditions to Chile. It features a grove of monkey-puzzle trees, species fuchsias, and terrestrial bromeliads. Chilean bellflower Lapageria rosea
Southern African Area This stunning collection of plants is from one of the most diverse botanical regions of the world. Karoo and fynbos plant communities are particularly well represented. Cycads, bulbs, heaths, and proteas form the core of this collection. Aloe spp. Euphorbia spp.
Photo by Marion Brenner
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THE GARDEN AND ITS PLANT COLLECTIONS continued The Garden also has non-geographic collections:
Arid House Plants from dry climates around the world, featuring cacti and succulents in one of the largest collections of the Garden, are displayed in three chambers: a warm room, a cool room, and a display room.
Orchid, Fern & Carnivorous Plant House A rotating exhibit of orchids, ferns, and carnivorous plants are on public display here, representing a small portion of the Garden’s total collection.
Tropical House Plants from tropical zones around the world are displayed, including many of economic importance. Lobster claw Heliconia rostrata
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THE GARDEN AND ITS PLANT COLLECTIONS continued
Xerophytic Fern Display This is an outstanding collection of dry-growing ferns from arid and desert regions around the world. Bonaire Lip Fern Cheilanthes bonariensis
Cycad & Palm Garden This collection features palms and cycads that are hardy enough to thrive in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Garden of Old Roses Rose cultivars from before 1867 are called “Old Roses.” This collection also includes some modern tea roses. Rosa x centifolia
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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THE GARDEN AND ITS PLANT COLLECTIONS continued
Crops of the World Garden Food and other economically important crops are arranged by geographic origin. Flowering artichoke Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus
Herb Garden This is a semi-formal display of primarily European plants used for cooking, medicines, and dyes.
Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden These herbs are organized according to their uses in traditional Chinese medicinal treatments. Photo by Melanie Hofmann
Waterwise Entry Garden This collection features xeric plants from the Garden, providing the home gardener with creative ideas for drought-tolerant landscapes. Photo by Yoni Mayeri
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THE MASTER PLAN 2020 Our Master Plan 2020 is organized by the various functions the Garden serves:
Nolina nelsonii Aloe castanea
Photo by Melanie Hofmann
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THE PLANT COLLECTION
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CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH
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EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION
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CAPACITY BUILDING
Within each section, we outline the current status and future needs for that function, including planning, staffing, and facilities (infrastructure). Obviously some of these needs, especially facilities, overlap various functions.
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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Water Wise Entry Garden Noline nelsonii Photo by Melanie Hofmann
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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THE PLANT COLLECTION
Monkey Hand Tree Chiranthodendron pentadactylon Photo by Melanie Hofmann
The plant collection is the basis for all aspects of the institution – education, research, conservation, and public display. Featuring over 12,000 kinds of plants from nearly every continent and comprising over 9,000 unique species, a high percentage of which are of documented wild origin, the collection is an invaluable resource for botanical research and conservation. The Garden is unique among US gardens in this respect. National recognition of excellence in curatorial and horticultural practice of four collections (oaks, magnolias, cycads and ferns) by the North American Plant Collections Consortium (a joint program of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and the American Public Gardens Association) affirms the Garden’s management best practices. Support for documentation (curation) and care for the collections (horticulture) is essential to the Garden in its role in providing materials for research and for conservation. The Curator manages the conservation programs and research use of the collection, with contributions from the assistant curator and horticulture staff. The Master Plan objectives further our efforts to develop and maintain the strengths of the collection in support of our mission.
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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THE PLANT COLLECTION continued COLLECTION MAINTENANCE
COLLECTION INFRASTRUCTURE
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
GOAL
GOAL
GOAL
Improve and maintain the health of the collection.
Provide infrastructure improvements to improve support of the collection
Expand the collection to increase species diversity.
ACTIONS
ACTIONS
ACTIONS
1. Create a master plan for collection management.
1. Modernize and develop propagation facilities, including seed processing and long term seed storage.
1. Create a plant collection committee for planning and development.
2. Create a master plan for tree pruning and removal, and hire contract arborists for corrective and ongoing tree maintenance. 3. Upgrade horticulturist position for Arid House collection to full-time (currently staffed two days per week). 4. Add more functionality to the software program, Collection Space, the data base management program adopted by the University in Spring 2013. Develop a public portal for data. 5. Expand the current compost program to convert Garden green waste into sustainable liquid fertilizer/ insecticide and further reduce dependence on artificial fertilizers and insecticides. 6. Create endowments for each Garden collection to ensure ongoing support.
2. Renovate and modernize aging greenhouses, in particular the Tropical House and its support greenhouse. 3. Replace existing failing irrigation system and add automated controllers to reduce runoff. (Phase 1 underway). 4. Update computer controllers in the Arid House. 5. Design and install rock walls and replace stairs throughout the Garden for bed maintenance and path access. 6. Relocate existing horticultural staff room to the corporation yard.
2. Fund major collection acquisitions, including local and international field work as needed, to better represent the geographic collections of the Garden. 3. Demolish the existing small Orchid, Fern and Carnivorous Plant House and replace it with a larger greenhouse to display much more of the collection. (Much of it is now unavailable to the public.) 4. Catalogue and improve the photographic record of the collections. 5. Convert regions along Strawberry Creek and Snowberry Creek to managed native Californian wild areas with public access.
7. Convert Garden fleet to electric vehicles as needed, including electric dump vehicle. Acquire new vehicle for conservation/ collection field work.
Monkey Hand Tree Chiranthodendron pentadactylon Photo by Melanie Hofmann
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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CONSERVATION & RESEARCH
California poppy Eschscholzia californica
The Garden has a long history in both conservation and research. From its move to Strawberry Canyon in the 1920’s, the Garden has been involved in research, first as a campus resource and gradually expanding as a world-wide research resource. Similarly, conservation became an important Garden goal as species around the world became endangered. Indeed, some 2,000 of the Garden’s species are listed as rare, endangered or even extinct in their natural habitats. The Garden’s conservation efforts are facilitated by its participating institution status in the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), a national consortium of gardens dedicated to preventing extinction of plants of the United States and its territories. The Garden provides stewardship for eighteen species of the CPC’s national collection, which are eligible for endowment funding support. Currently, three of the Garden’s national collection species are endowed (Presidio Manzanita, Baker’s larkspur, and Lake Tahoe draba). The Garden receives a modest annual income from these endowments. International collaborations are facilitated by Botanic Gardens Conservation International and in-country national organizations and NGOs. The Garden Curator and Assistant Curator, with the assistance of volunteers, monitor wild populations, collect and bank seeds, and reintroduce species into habitat as appropriate. The Garden serves as a Plant Rescue Center for the US Fish & Wildlife Service, caring for plants brought illegally into the US, many of them rare. It is through this service that the Garden received hundreds of cycad plants. These cycads form the basis of the Garden’s North American Plant Collections Consortium cycad collection. Important cacti, carnivorous plants, and orchids have also been obtained through this portal. The Garden serves the University as a source for research materials and as a site to house active research collections. The Garden hosts class visits and serves as a source of living plant materials for classroom and laboratory use. As a permanent collection of documented living plants the Garden provides an invaluable resource for faculty and student research as need arises. Such resources must be developed and supported over long time frames. Research support is provided by the Curator and Assistant Curator, with occasional assistance from horticulture staff. In addition to providing plant samples for faculty and students at UC Berkeley, Garden staff members collect and ship plant materials to researchers at other universities around the world. There has recently been an upswing in requests for materials as a result of broader access to collection holdings through internet resources. This upswing is in large part a result of the Garden’s membership and participation in Botanic Gardens Conservation International, which hosts “Plant Search”, allowing researchers to ascertain which species are available in hundreds of gardens. UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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CONSERVATION & RESEARCH continued CONSERVATION
RESEARCH
GOAL
GOAL
Increase the Garden’s involvement in the conservation of endangered plants.
Provide infrastructure improvements to improve support of the collection
ACTIONS
ACTIONS
1. Further develop the Garden’s participation in conservation efforts through grants and contracts from the Center for Plant Conservation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, etc.
1. Raise awareness of the Garden’s collections to the research community, nationally and internationally.
2. Create a new Conservation Officer position to support this function, currently staffed part-time by the Garden Curator. (Other CPC participating institutions have one to several dedicated conservation staff.). 3. Identify space to house the conservation program, both in terms of staffing, plant propagation, and seed storage. 4. Seek new sources of funding for conservation projects compatible with Garden collections and resources. 5. Emphasize endangered species in the plant collections of the Garden and work toward their use in conservation projects/initiatives.
2. Create a graduate student research position for fall, spring, and summer terms to contribute to the Garden’s curation activities (for vouchering). 3. Improve climate controls on existing greenhouses so that they would be appropriate sites to house temporary research collections. 4. Engage the Faculty Advisory Committee in communications efforts to make sure Campus faculty are aware of research possibilities at the Garden. 5. Provide support for local extractions of DNA for Garden plants to be used in research plants subject to quarantine.
California poppy Eschscholzia californica
6. Develop conservation projects in keeping with the goals of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. 7. Develop and expand international collaborations for plant conservation.
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EDUCATION & INTERPRETATION The Garden has long had a significant commitment to education, initially participating in campus teaching, and later expanding to include other local colleges and direct education of the general public and local schools. Today the Garden’s educational mission is accomplished in a variety of ways: Visitor Education: Garden efforts to support visitor education include public programming, visitor guides and maps, seasonal guides, interpretive and directional signs, special exhibits with docent “Explainers”, Garden Ambassadors to greet visitors, docent tours open to the public, horticulturist-led guided tours, educational materials provided on the Garden website and in Garden e-mails, lectures, workshops, and summer camps. In-Garden Student Education: Docent-led tours serve some 6,500 visitors per year, including students in grades K-12, and adult groups. Elementary students can participate in a variety of tours, such as California Ecosystems and Habitats, Math in the Garden: Patterns in Nature, and Awaken Your Senses, all geared to California curriculum standards. At the university level, instructors from UC Berkeley and other campuses bring their classes to the Garden for botany education, with docent assistance. In addition, there are continuing education opportunities for Garden staff and volunteers. Off-Site Education: The Education Coordinator and docents also bring educational content into K-6 schools through the programs Botany on Your Plate, Pollinators, and California Natives: Plants and People, and related Garden publications. This service is especially helpful in addressing the lack of funding in many schools to pay for student visits to the Garden.
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EDUCATION & INTERPRETATION continued EDUCATION
PUBLIC AWARENESS
INTERPRETATION
GOAL
GOAL
GOAL
Expand the Garden’s role in education, both at the Garden and in classrooms.
To be an educational resource for the public on biodiversity and plant-related subjects.
Maximize visitor understanding and appreciation of the Garden’s plants and environment.
ACTIONS
ACTIONS
ACTIONS
1. Create a full time Education Coordinator position.
1. Create a diverse offering of public programming on a variety of topics at a variety of price points.
1. Create a strategic plan for Interpretation.
2. Update the K-6 school tours to keep abreast of changing educational standards and procedures. 3. Promote K-6 docent tours in the Garden to those schools with available transportation funding. 4. Secure grants or other funding to subsidize in-Garden tours for underfunded schools. 5. Collaborate with campus departments and surrounding colleges to expand university course utilization of the Garden. 6. Develop internship opportunities and educational experiences for high school and college students. 7. Create fee-based workshops for teachers. 8. Improve the quality and depth of professional development for Garden staff and volunteers. 9. Develop and distribute curricula and related materials.
2. Invite campus faculty to share their research areas to promote public understanding of science. 3. Update existing educational exhibits and create new ones. 4. Develop a more extensive public lecture series. 5. Create a lecture series in horticultural topics led by Garden staff. 6. Hold twice yearly large scale community events open to the public with rich educational offerings. 7. Expand programmatic staff to allow for weekly programs at the Garden. 8. Hold an annual symposium on horticulture, design, or native plants to establish ourselves as an ongoing cutting edge resource.
2. Expand and upgrade interpretive signage throughout the Garden. 3. Create new visitor maps, seasonal brochures, and tour guides. 4. Bring wireless capability to the Garden, and create tour content for internet devices. 5. Update existing exhibits and create new ones. 6. Expand the role of Garden Ambassadors and Docent Explainers. 7. Provide additional content on the Garden website, and employ new technology as available; make tours and programs accessible through the website. 8. Improve steps and railings throughout the Garden to facilitate viewing the plants. 9. Expand outreach to new, diverse audiences through an active presence at community events.
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CAPACITY BUILDING As late as the 1970’s, the Garden was fully funded by the University. As University funding by the State began to decline, so too did the University’s funding to the Garden. Today, University operational funding amounts to only about 32% of the Garden’s budget of $2.6 million per year. The remainder must come from memberships, grants, annual giving, endowment earnings, and revenue generating activities (plant sales, gift shop sales, wedding and conference rentals, programs, concerts, camps, and tours). Since University funding is unlikely to increase significantly in the future, the Garden must focus on developing its funding from revenue generating activities, membership, gifts, grants, and endowments.
Spiral aloe Aloe polyphylla
Photo by Melanie Hofmann
illion Budge M t .6 2 $ 32%
32%
DEVELOPMENT Membership / Fundraising
UNIVERSITY Funded
36%
VISITOR SERVICES Admission / Gifts & Plants / Programs / Tours
68%
Garden Generated Funding
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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CAPACITY BUILDING continued MEMBERSHIP & VISITOR EXPERIENCE
REVENUE
GIFTS, GRANTS & ENDOWMENTS
GOAL
GOAL
GOAL
Increase membership numbers and enhance membership experience
Increase revenue from rental, retail, and visitor focused generating activities at the Garden
Increase Garden funding through gifts, grants and endowments
ACTIONS
ACTIONS
1. Create full time Membership Director position.
1. Develop internet gift shop sale capability.
2. Develop a membership strategic plan.
2. Create a comprehensive marketing and event rental plan for all rentable facilities to develop new, targeted audiences (without impacting Garden visitors).
3. Explore ways to increase parking, e.g., through shuttle services or valet parking. 4. Enhance visitor experience by the addition of food service. 5. Reconfigure the entry area and create an attractive and multifunctional visitor center. 6. Survey visitors to determine their needs and desires. 7. Encourage return visits through added programs and amenities.
3. Improve facilities for the existing gift shop and adjacent plant deck. 4. Level the Garden lawn to create an additional event space or wedding amenity. 5. Improve event capabilities of the Redwood Grove venue through structural upgrades, improved lighting, and the addition of restrooms.
ACTIONS 1. Develop master plan and goals for annual giving, tribute giving, and foundation giving. 2. Develop a communications plan for donors and bequests. 3. Increase Advisory Board and volunteer involvement in fund raising, including identifying potential donors and access to corporate philanthropy departments. 4. Increase efforts to promote planned giving. 5. Conduct a survey of other Botanical Gardens to identify grant sources, target appropriate sources, and develop strategies for applying.
6. Improve the entrance plaza by adding a coffee cart, improved water fountain with bottle filling station, and informational sign post. 7. Create a visitor center at the entrance for ticket sales, the shop, plant deck, ambassadors, volunteer office, and cafĂŠ.
Spiral aloe Aloe polyphylla
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APPENDICES
NOTABLE GARDEN MILESTONES SUMMARY OF INFRASTRUCTURE/FACILITIES NEEDS GARDEN STAFFING STRUCTURE
Argentine saguaro Echinopsis terschecki
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NOTABLE GARDEN MILESTONES 1890’s
• Botanical Garden established on campus in 1890, under direction of newly formed Botany Department.
1920’s
• Garden moves to present location in Strawberry Canyon, organized primarily by geographical area.
1940’s
• Japanese Pool from the 1939 International Exposition is installed in the Garden in 1941.
1960’s
• Garden expands its role as a teaching and research facility for campus, including growing plants for class use. Programs for the outside community, including school children, are initiated.
1970’s
• Garden opens to the public. • Conference center constructed in 1970. • Docent Program initiated in 1974. • Volunteer propagators hold first plant sale in 1974. • Calvin Townsend amphitheater constructed in the redwood grove in 1976. • First Garden newsletter published in 1976. • Visitor Center constructed in 1978.
1980’s
• First Master Plan created in 1982. • Visitor Center moved and converted to the current gift shop in 1986. • Mexican/Central American Area created in 1987. • Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden created in 1987. • Tropical House restored and opened to the public in 1987. • Garden joins the Center for Plant Conservation in 1987, and expands its work in the conservation field. • Garden of Old Roses established.
1990’s
• Garden Centennial celebrated in 1990. • Visitor entry fees are implemented in 1997, allowing for accurate count of attendance. • Japanese Pool reconstructed after flood damage in 1997, and Obata Gate added. • Parking lot paved. Anna’s Hummingbird
Calypte anna
Photo by Melanie Hofmann
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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NOTABLE GARDEN MILESTONES continued 2000’s
• New Arid House opens to the public in 2001. • Administrative Resource Center west of Centennial Drive opens in 2001. • Interpretive signage program begins in 2003. • Myrtle Wolf Botanical and Horticultural Library created in 2004. • Jane Gray Research Greenhouse completed in 2004. • Volunteer Center constructed in 2004 (remodeled in 2013). • Major remodel of entry area completed in 2005. • Garden Advisory Board created in 2007. • Major renovation and enlargement of gift shop and plant sale deck completed in 2007. • Modern misting greenhouse erected for volunteer propagators in 2008. • Eastern Cape cycad exhibit created in 2008.
2010’s
• Major reconstruction of Garden’s aging irrigation system begins in 2013 • Historic Julian Morgan building (originally the Senior Women’s Hall, then Girton Hall) moved from lower campus to the Garden in 2014, to serve as additional conference facilities. • Annual Plants Illustrated Exhibitions initiated. • Redesign of the South Africa Cape Collection Exhibit. • Tour deck remodeled with tribute brick plaza.
Titum arum Amorphophallus titanum Photo by Melanie Hofmann
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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SUMMARY OF MAJOR CAPITAL NEEDS This Master Plan 2020 has listed a number of needed improvements to the facilities and infrastructure of the Garden. Many of these improvements benefit more than one purpose of the Garden. For example, a new gardenwide automated irrigation system not only improves the health of the plant collections, it also allows watering at a time when visitors are not impacted and saves water overall. The addition of the Julia Morgan Center will both increase our educational opportunities and create additional revenue for the Garden.
Projects
Needs
Acquire furnishings and equipment for Julia Morgan Hall.
Campus has recently moved the historic Julia Morgan Hall from the main campus to the Garden grounds. Furnishings, lighting, and equipment are necessary to maximize the revenue and educational potentials of this beautiful building.
Replace aging irrigation system and add modern computerized controls.
The current galvanized irrigation system in the Garden, nearly 80 years old, is failing throughout the Garden. Replacing the lines with modern materials and adding a computerized irrigation control system will improve collection health, reduce water wastage, and increase horticultural efficiency.
Implement Garden’s new curatorial/research database.
Several of the campus’ museums have recently been converted to a new database “Collection Space”. The Garden’s ability to fully utilize this curatorial program for research (including a photo inventory of the Garden’s collection) is limited by the amount of programming time available. Supplemental funding from Garden donors would allow this to happen much more rapidly.
Renovate and modernize Greenhouse 2 (warm propagation greenhouse) in the corporate yard.
This old greenhouse is constructed with glass in wood mullions, with an aluminum main frame. As the wood deteriorates, the glass will eventually fall. It also lacks modern heating, ventilation and humidity controls. The wood and glass frame should be replaced by aluminum and polycarbonate, and new climate controls installed.
Modernize atmospheric controls of Arid House.
Heating, cooling, ventilating, and computer systems controlling the Arid House are now 15 years old, and need extensive renovation and upgrade for the health of the plants.
Upgrade heating, ventilation, and humidity for Tropical Greenhouse.
The Tropical Greenhouse was last renovated in 1987. The aging heating, ventilation, and humidification systems need to be replaced to protect this important educational resource.
Renovation of the Redwood Grove Amphitheater.
The amphitheater is a major center of environmental, educational and social activities in the Garden. As a popular site for programs (e.g., concerts) and rentals (e.g., weddings), it is also a significant source of revenue. Now 35 years old, it must be refurbished to maintain both a safe and attractive site; in particular, some wood needs replacement and the dais must be replaced and expanded.
Improve stairs, paths, and railings.
More major improvements require better lighting and restrooms. The stairs, paths and railings of the Garden are under constant renewal, as funds allow. A funding source for a comprehensive master plan and construction would allow for better and safer access to the Garden, showcasing areas that are currently difficult to access. UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
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SUMMARY OF MAJOR CAPITAL NEEDS continued Projects Needs Pursue major new plant acquisitions.
Collections needing further development include the NAPCC collections (cycads, oaks, magnolias, and ferns). All the geographic collections would be improved by new field collections.
Lawn Leveling
The small lawn near the Conference Center in the middle of the Garden represents a key site for expanding events. Presently, the steep slope greatly impacts its use as well as a lack of suitable power. A portion of the lawn near the herb gardens should be leveled and provided with utilities and made ADA compliant to expand its potential as a significant revenue generating facility.
Build new rock walls throughout Garden.
Several areas of the Garden, especially the Southern African Area, have recently been enhanced with rock walls along the path, allowing better visibility and maintenance of the collections. There are a number of other areas that would similarly benefit if funding were available.
Improve patio between conference center and tropical house.
Upgrading the patio would improve the desirability of the conference center for meetings and weddings.
Reconstruct entry area, visitor center, food service, shade structure, etc.
Entry to the Garden is now past the ticket kiosk and the volunteer center (a converted construction trailer). This entire footprint, together with the shop and administrative center, could be replaced with a unified visitor center with proper amenities and educational facilities.
Bring wireless/internet capability to the Garden.
The lack of internet phone capability in the Garden severely limits interpretation and education opportunities, and limits visitors to signage, printed tour brochures, and guided tours. Most modern botanical gardens are now able to use internet capability to suggest tour routes on a seasonal basis, and to explain plants as they are encountered in the Garden.
Relocate horticultural break room.
The current building is inadequate for staff, lacks proper plumbing, and is an eyesore next to the new Julia Morgan building. It should be relocated with a new building in the corporate yard, and its current location could be then be utilized by collections or an expanded orchid/fern/carnivorous house.
Build a new orchid/fern/carnivorous house.
The present structure is too small and cramped for adequate display of Garden’s large collection of these plants (presently in greenhouses inaccessible to the public). A new modern structure, similar to the Arid House, could be located on the existing site, extending into the footprint of the current horticultural break room.
Expand collection areas to lower creeks and western areas.
Several acres of the Garden are currently undeveloped for lack of funding and the increased staffing which would be required. The two lower branches of Strawberry Creek could be restored to their native vegetation with path access. At the south edge of the Garden, several more acres could be developed into additional collection areas. UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
GARDEN STAFFING STRUCTURE
Horticulturist, Deserts of the Americas / Crop Garden
Director Education & Program Manager Program Coordinator
Marketing & Design Manager
Membership Coordinator
Development Director
Volunteer Propagation Coordinator / Horticulturist, Arid House
Supervisor of Horticulture & Grounds
Associate Director, Collections & Horticulture Curator Assistant Curator Conservation Officer
Building & Grounds Maintenance Horticulturist, Mediterranean / Eastern North America
Horticulturist, California
Horticulturist, Southern Africa / Cycads & Palms Horticulturist, Australasia / California
Propagator
Horticulturist, Green House Collections
Horticulturist, South America / Garden of Old Roses Facilities
Horticulturist, Mexico / Central America Horticulturist, Asia / Herb Garden & Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY
Rental Coordinator
Volunteer & Tour Coordinator
Associate Director, Visitor Experience
Retail Coordinator
Visitor Services Coordinator
UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at BERKELEY