Video calls have made it much easier for us to stay connected with the community, but nothing beats in-person interaction. In late June, we had two great opportunities to engage directly with the botanic garden and zoo community about their challenges and gain more insight into how technological innovation might help us address some of these problems.
This year, the Annual American Public Garden (APGA) Conference in Boston coincided with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Zoo Horticulture Conference in Arnhem, the Netherlands. With Sander Cozijn and Joris Verbruggen going to Arnhem and Havard Ostgaard, Dr Waheed Arshad, Angela Benard, and Rob Calgagni attending the conference in Boston, we had the opportunity to engage with the community at both events.
The release of the long-awaited public sites in early June was perfectly timed to provide us with many chances to demonstrate this feature and receive feedback from the conference delegates. By sharing their collection online, gardens can boost their educational reach and dramatically increase the impact of their plant records.
The benefits of upgrading to a modern plant records platform are more evident than ever. Contact us today to discover how easily you can share your collection online to enhance your garden and delight your visitors.
Our Director of Major Gifts, Angela Benard, joined us in Boston, and we were able to share our vision for the “Conservation Impact Partner” program with many of you. Together with BGCI, this initiative aims to support global conservation efforts. To learn how you can contribute and become a Conservation Impact Partner, contact us for more details.
We thank Michelle Provaznik and her team at APGA and the host gardens for organizing yet another amazing conference. We were provided with a rich and diverse itinerary in wonderful Boston and had the privilege of enjoying some of the magical green spaces created by the host gardens at Arnold Arboretum, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Mount Auburn Cemetery, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, and The Trustees of Reservations.
The conference saw an unprecedented turnout, and the positive energy was palpable throughout the event. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who visited our exhibit and as it was busy and crowded at times, we apologize if we were unable to give you the attention you needed. If you have any questions that went unanswered, please contact us or book a time for a chat using this link.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the APGA for introducing their new “Allied Membership” tier, which fits very well for us and, hopefully, many other non-profit organizations that serve the botanic garden community.
Together with Katherine Brewer, Curator of Living Collections at Coastal Maine Botanic Garden, and Dr Gijs Steur, Curator & Assistant Professor at Utrecht University Botanic Gardens, we co-presented on the topic of Collection Value Scoring under the title: “Understanding the Impact of Your Collection Through Value Scoring: What Have We Learned So Far?”
Thanks to everyone who joined the sessions and for the feedback we received during and after the event. You gave us many new ideas, of which the key takeaway was that collection value scoring plays an important role in the high ambitions many gardens have for the utilization of their plant records. For more information, you can download the presentation slides here.
It was a great opportunity for Sander and Joris to meet with the zoo community at the EAZA Horticulture Conference in Arnhem. This two-day event had a very engaging audience from institutions across the continent. The wonderful setting at Burgers’ Zoo also provided the perfect backdrop for discussions about plant records in zoos, some of which are already using Hortis for their record-keeping (read Paradise Wildlife Park’s story here and Micke Grove Zoo's story here).
As we reflect on the event, we look forward to continuing the conversation with more zoos to help them achieve their plant record-keeping goals. We are also excited about future possibilities for collaboration and innovation in both the botanical and zoological communities.
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