2 0 1 4 A n n u a l Re p o r t | E n r i c h i n g t h e S m i t h s o n i a n ex p e r i e n c e s i n c e 1 9 7 2
Smithsonian Gardens
2
Cover: The Heath Hen sculpture is part of The Lost Bird Project which seeks to create awareness about our fragile
bird species. The creation of artist Todd McGrain, the project has been sponsored by the Smithsonian and other
organizations. Four bird sculptures will remain in the Haupt Garden until spring 2015; a fifth bird is in the Urban
Bird Habitat at the National Museum of Natural History, on the corner of 12th Street and Constitution Avenue.
3
Director’s Letter 4
Budget 6
Gardens 8
Exhibitions 12
Awards 14
Programs 16
Collections 18
Archives 20
Research 21
Support 22
Staff 24
Volunteers 26
Highlights 28
Ta b l e o f
C o n t e n t s
4
F r o m t h e
D i r e c t o r
What a SERIOUSLY AMAZING year! Thanks to our remarkable staff and well-placed efforts, we’ve accomplished
significant benchmarks in public garden excellence. The North American Plant Collections Consortium accreditation,
Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection going “live” on the Smithsonian Collections Search Center, The Lost Bird
Project art exhibition, Audubon certification, and being named one of the Top 10 science Instagram accounts to follow
were some of the showiest feathers in our cap in 2014...and we’re just getting started! I hope you will enjoy looking
back with us on the many accomplishments of Smithsonian Gardens included in this our 2014 Annual Report.
In the future we look forward to launching the upcoming American Gardens Legacy exhibit, Pools, Patios, & the
Invention of the American Backyard. This exhibit will start its 5-year run in March 2015 through the Smithsonian
Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) program. It will be exciting to share our research about this
noteworthy time in American garden history with other centers of learning around the country.
2015 will also mark the end of our current Strategic Plan and the planning for our next 5 year plan. With the help of
the entire Smithsonian Gardens’ team, I look forward to developing another strong plan that will continue to guide us in
fulfilling our mission of enriching the Smithsonian experience through exceptional gardens, horticultural exhibits,
collections, and education.
I know you will agree that Smithsonian Gardens is a grand organization. We are grateful to all of you who supported
the good work we accomplished in 2014. We will be counting on you to help us make 2015 another SERIOUSLY
AMAZING year.
Barbara W. Faust
Associate Director, Smithsonian Gardens
Barbara Faust, with Mary Kent of the Garden Club of America,
signing a deed of gift for garden documentation from the GCA
5
OUR MISSION
Enriching the Smithsonian experience through exceptional gardens, horticultural exhibits, collections, and education
Bulbophyllum blumei
Blume’s Bulbophyllum Orchid
6
B u d g e t
Endowments, Royalties, Grants and Donations FY2014
Endowment Payout for Programs and Operations $485,068.00
Urban Bird Habitat Grant: Smithsonian Women’s Committee $ 31,389.00
Donations and Honorariums $ 31,145.00
Receipts from License Royalties $ 22,823.00
Youth Access Planning Grant $ 18,100.00
Funding from Garden Club of America to host two interns $ 6,200.00
Funding from the Katzenberger Foundation to host an intern $ 5,500.00
Total $600,225.00
Smithsonian Gardens Federal Appropriation FY2014
$5.7M
7
During the winter of 2013/14, Smithsonian
Gardens cleared over 30” of snow, double the
normal average for Washington, D.C.
8
G a r d e n s
Smithsonian Gardens’ landscape architect, arborist, and supervisory horticulturist worked closely
with landscape contractors and representatives from the landscape architect firm GGN to select 106
specimen trees from 7 nurseries in four different states for the National Museum of African American
History and Culture project. Carefully chosen for optimal habit, form, health, and vigor, these trees
will be installed in the fall of 2015 as part of the permanent planting scheme of the museum.
Landscape Progress
9
Remembrance Poppies
In April, Smithsonian Gardens was granted approval to implement a no smoking policy in several gardens. The Haupt, Ripley and Folger Rose Gardens now join the NMAI landscape and the National Zoological Park in broadening no smoking to exterior spaces.
A corn poppies (Papaver rhoeas ‘American
Legion’) program was created to
commemorate the 100th anniversary of
World War I. The red flower has become
an international symbol of remembrance of
those who have died in war. Local U.S.
Marine Corps volunteers were part of the
planting; they helped horticulturists sow the
seed mixture over the south lawn of the
National Museum of American History in
an ongoing effort to interpret American
history through plants. The expectation is
that these poppies will bloom to coincide
with Memorial Day 2015.
2014 brought an enormous challenge to the interior plant staff of Smithsonian Gardens: the replacement of two 25-foot black olive trees and one 35-foot Ficus rubignosa in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard of the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. This 10-day operation involved a phenomenal amount of coordi-nation with the Museums’ staff, facilities staff and contractors. 908 cubic feet of soil along with the existing plantings were removed and planters were inspected for leaks. Three new black olive trees and 180 understory plants were reinstalled.
No Smoking!
Courtyard Renovation
10
G a r d e n s
Smithsonian Gardens staff enhances the
museums’ gardens and interior spaces
each year with seasonal holiday decora-
tions. Our interior displays include large
evergreen and artificial trees along with
820 yards of garland, 30+ wreaths and
over 750 Smithsonian-grown poinsettias.
Hand-made decorations constructed from
natural materials are featured throughout
the gardens as well as festive lighting.
Installing the holiday displays requires
coordination with multiple Smithsonian
divisions; reimbursements from the
museums provide the funding. This year
SG participated with Smithsonian Enter-
prises, the National Museum of Natural
History and the National Museum of
American History in the planning of the first
Smithsonian’s Holiday Festival Weekend.
The festival featured musical
performances, film screenings, book
signings, trunk shows, children’s activities
and additional holiday decorations within
the museums all to get visitors in the
holiday spirit.
Holiday
11
Smithsonian Gardens supported this year’s Folklife Festival by
providing guidance on the initial site plans, supplying tropical
foliage plants for the Kenya and China programs, managing the restoration of the Marketplace site at NMAH, and providing equipment that was used to
maintain the National Mall site during the duration of the festival.
Smithsonian Gardens is pleased to announce the
publication of its first gardening book, Encyclopedia of
Garden Plants for Every Location, featuring more than
3,000 plant recommendations to handle a variety of
garden conditions. It was published by DK Publishing
in collaboration with Smithsonian Books and
Smithsonian Gardens. James Gagliardi, lead
horticulturist at NMNH, served as editor for this
comprehensive gardening book.
To find out more about the book visit
www.gardens.si.edu/book
Smithsonian Gardens has been noticing some unexpected garden tourists lately, thanks to an influx of geocachers to the Butterfly Habitat Garden at the National Museum of Natural
History. Geocaching is a popular hobby in which participants follow online clues and GPS coordinates to find “caches” where they can log their visits. Thanks to a hidden cache near Smith-sonian Gardens’ oldest living collection item, an Elm tree that predates the Natural History Museum, geocachers have found
themselves unexpectedly immersed in garden spaces and have enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about American Elms.
To date, the cache has been found 1,341 times and has 209 favorite points. The cache page (www.geocaching.com/
geocache/GC3QMEP_elm-tree-1-smithsonian-nmnh-geotour) has 10,383 views from geocachers from 67 countries, and that
number grows every day! Geocaching
First Gardening Book
Folklife Festival
12
E x h i b i t i o n s
Smithsonian Gardens and Smithsonian Libraries were pleased to present The
Lost Bird Project, an outdoor exhibit by artist Todd McGrain, through May 11, 2015.
Five large-scale bronze sculptures of extinct North American birds were displayed in
the gardens. Four sculptures were located in the Enid A. Haupt Garden’s parterre.
The Passenger Pigeon statue landed in the Urban Bird Habitat at the National Muse-
um of Natural History as a companion piece to the Smithsonian Libraries’ exhibit Once
There Were Billions: Vanished Birds of North America which opened June 24, 2014
and will end October 2015.
THE LOST BIRD PROJECT
13
Modern Day Extinction
The Lost Bird Project recognizes the tragedy of modern extinction by
immortalizing North American birds that have been driven to extinction.
To date, bronze memorials have been dedicated to the Passenger
Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, Labrador Duck, Great Auk, and Heath
Hen. These sculptures compel us to recognize the finality of our loss.
They ask us not to forget, and they remind us of our duty to prevent
further extinction. Extinction of animals, plants, and other organisms
caused by human actions can often be credited to habitat destruction
resulting from deforestation and pollution. Excessive hunting and
fishing, the introduction of non-native species, and the transmission of
diseases are also contributing factors.
THE LOST BIRD PROJECT
Installation
Smithsonian Gardens staff
played an integral role in
The Lost Bird Project sculpture
installation as well as the exhibit
design and implementation. The
sculptures arrived on a cold
morning in March, wrapped and
staged on a flatbed truck. SG
staff assisted with moving the
sculptures via a forklift,
excavating the planting beds in
the gardens to receive the
sculptures (which were attached
to an I-beam support system)
and re-creating the beds around
the newly installed sculptures.
SG staff also designed the inter-
pretive signage in-house,
contracting for its fabrication,
but accomplishing the installa-
tion in-house as well. Finally, SG
put together a mobile phone
tour, using narratives from the
sculptor, so that visitors could
hear first-hand about the
history of these birds as well as
the artistic process employed in
the creation of these stirring
artworks.
14
A w a r d s
The Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection
received accreditation from the North American
Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC) in
January 2014, making it the first member of the
Orchidaceae tropical species curatorial group.
The conferral of this award indicates Smithson-
ian Gardens’ dedication to orchid conservation
and high collections management standards.
Smithsonian Gardens strives to cultivate an
extremely diverse array of orchids from all over
the world. Not only are new acquisitions
selected carefully based on their display
quality, educational value, beauty, rarity and
how they complement our present collection,
but consideration is also given to how new
additions will further the efforts of NAPCC.
Angreacum germinyanum
Germiny's Angraecum Orchid
15
S trengthening its commitment to environmental management and sustainability, Smithsonian
Gardens has joined Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program. This ed-
ucational and certification program designates a high level of environmental stewardship.
To become certified, Smithsonian Gardens staff developed, implemented, and documented the
results of an environmental management plan in 5 key areas:
Site assessment and environmental planning
Wildlife and habitat management
Water conservation
Resource management
Outreach and education
Certification was achieved by SG after demonstrating that it met (or exceeded) Audubon Interna-
tional’s environmental management standards in all five areas. Smithsonian Gardens had already
implemented several management practices required for certification including using water con-
servation technologies, recycling, composting, implementing an integrated pest management
program, and educational training, so meeting the criteria set forth by Audubon was an obtainable
goal. Working with Audubon International will help Smithsonian Gardens find new projects to
enhance its urban wildlife habitat and conserve natural resources.
Wildlife Sanctuary
16
P ro g ra m s
WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE! This year’s Garden Fest took place in conjunction with both National Public Gardens Day and Drinking Water Week to promote the importance of public gardens, the value of water, and the availability of clean, safe water. The festival featured popular activities such as a Container Contest, an art project where participants created hanging planters out of recycled water bottles, Fold the Flock origami to remember the passenger pigeon, and many more. The Smithsonian Gardens Green Team provided ‘Garbage to Garden’ activities for both children and children-at-heart that focused on conservation in the garden. Team members taught us how to compost and re-use kitchen scraps to grow new plants and drew attention to the importance of water and how we can conserve it in the garden! A tour of The Lost Bird Project sculpture series in the Enid A. Haupt Garden was led by the art-ist Todd McGrain. Bay Jazz Project provided musical entertainment throughout the day.
Garden Fest
17
Smithsonian Gardens and the National Museum of American History co-hosted another highly
successful Food in the Garden series in the Victory Garden. FOOD in the Garden 2014 explored
four maritime regions where battles were waged during the War of 1812: Long Island Sound, the
Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico. In continued celebration of the Star
Spangled Banner’s 200th anniversary, 200 years of connections between land and water, and peo-
ple and food provided topics of conversation for attendees while they enjoyed food and drinks in a
relaxed garden atmosphere Thursday evenings in September.
Over the course of five weeks, more
than 600 participants attended
weekly evening panel discussions,
thematic demonstrations, and
garden tours.
The program was made possible by
the generous support of DuPont
Pioneer, The Julia Child Foundation
for Gastronomy and the Culinary
Arts, and Wegmans.
Food in the Garden
18
C o l l e c t i o n s
As part of a new social media project,
Smithsonian Gardens launched an exciting
initiative by the name of ‘Community of Gardens’
that seeks to capture garden stories online.
Everyone is welcome to add their own garden
story to the site.
For more information, please visit:
www.communityofgardens.si.edu/
In April, the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection (SGOC)
went live on the Smithsonian Collections Search Center
(CSC). The Smithsonian CSC is an online catalog containing
thousands of Smithsonian collections from our museums,
archives, libraries, and research units. There are 8.1 million catalog records relating to areas for Art
& Design, History & Culture, and Science & Technology with 860,477 images, videos, audio files,
podcasts, blog posts and electronic journals. SG’s 8,433 orchid specimens comprise the first living
collection to join the multitudes of objects, specimens, and archival records that are contained with-
in the site. SGOC records contain basic information about each accession such as scientific name,
flower color, range, taxonomy, and available photos. SGOC’s presence on the Collections Search
Center has served as motivation to improve the quality and completeness of SGOC collection
records in BG-BASE and correct plant identification errors. The hope is that these online records
can be a resource for educators, students, researchers and curious individuals, and a source of
orchid inspiration year-round.
Share Your Story
19
Smithsonian Gardens’ terrestrial orchids received quite a
boost in numbers. Collection managers Tom Mirenda and
Sarah Hedean acquired Paphiopedilums and
Phragmipediums. They found many valuable additions for
the collection, including a blooming-size Phragmipedium
kovachii and several associated hybrids. We will hopefully
see these spectacular kovachii flowers within a year.
Additional Phragmipediums were obtained, including
Phragmipedium brasiliense, Phragmipedium boisserianum
and Phragmipedium sargentianum. All three species are
new to the collection.
Greg Huse graduated from the University of
Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Re-
source Management. He started his career as a
consulting forester in New Jersey, then joined
Bartlett Tree Experts and later SavATree in
Connecticut. In 2007, Greg took a sabbatical to
thru-hike the Appalachian Trail for six months.
In 2011, he joined Smithsonian Gardens as its
Arborist & Tree Collection Manager with
Smithsonian Gardens.
PROFILES: GREG HUSE
A complete tree risk and health assessment was performed on every
tree in the collection at all of Smithsonian Gardens’ downtown locations.
This generated a priority list of the maintenance and special monitoring
needs for each tree. Assessments were started at the Anacostia
Community Museum and at the Smithsonian’s support facilities in
Suitland, MD.
In May, the Smithsonian, the Deputy Under Secretary for Collections
and Interdisciplinary Support, and the Smithsonian Collections
Emergency Management Working Group recognized Smithsonian
Gardens for its emergency preparedness involving the tree collection.
Orchid Collection
Tree Collection
20
A r c h i v e s
H undreds of letters written in 1924 in re-
sponse to a “What Burpee’s Seeds Have
Done for Me” contest that are included in
the W. Atlee Burpee & Company Collection at
the Archives of American Gardens were scanned
and uploaded to the website resource, Smithson-
ian Transcription Center. ‘Digital volunteers’
transcribed the handwritten and typed letters so
that they can be more easily searched and
accessed for research purposes. An invaluable
resource, the letters tell stories by and about the
average home gardener in the U.S. during the first
quarter of the 20th century.
Archives of American Gardens’
holdings include over 100,000
images of historic and contempo-
rary gardens. These images come
from literally thousands of different
sources and were not always
accompanied by basic information
(such as owner or location) that
would identify them. Without this fundamental data, these
images lose much of their informational value. To date,
scores have been identified, but a staggering amount still
need information.
Our goal is to capture America’s garden history
before it’s too late!
HELP SOLVE A MYSTERY !
Smithsonian Transcription Center
21
Re s e a rc h
Native Orchid
Cultivation Trial
The orchid collection staff is
working with the North
American Orchid Conserva-
tion Center to determine the
best growing techniques for
endangered native orchids
such as Cypripediums and
Platanthera. Earlier this
year staff members
travelled to several sites to
collect mycorrhizal fungi
from wild populations for
extraction, identification,
fungal banking, and
eventual use for seed
germination and nutritional
enhancement of cultivation
beds in the future.
Two scholars were recipients of the Enid A.
Haupt Fellowship in 2014. Dr. Lisa Horth, an
Associate Professor of Biology at Old Domin-
ion University, conducted research on plant-
pollinator interactions by analyzing visual cues
in orchids at Smithsonian Gardens. Specifical-
ly, she is evaluating ultraviolet signals in
flowers that are visible to bees, butterflies and
other pollinators (like hummingbirds) but
invisible to humans. One question her research will address is when
we hybridize species to create beautiful horticultural specimens, do we
ignore and possibly unintentionally alter – ultraviolet patterns that
pollinators use as cues to find resources like nectar and pollen.
University of Michigan doctoral candidate Joe Cialdella was the
second Fellow. While in residence, Joe’s research project focused on
"Gardens in the City: How Gardens Changed Communities,
Landscapes and Public Spaces in American Cities in the Past and
Present." His dissertation title is: "Landscape of Ruin and Repair: A
Cultural History of Environmental Change in the Rustbelt." Joe’s
dissertation examines the cultural meaning of landscape change in
"rustbelt" cities such as Detroit, Michigan. Using historic methodology,
he analyzed how community gardens and parks functioned as
important public spaces central to the cultural life and livelihood of
American cities from the late 19th century to the present.
THE
ENID A. HAUPT
FELLOWSHIP
IN
HORTICULTURE
22
S u p p o r t
T his year, Smithsonian Gardens dedicated a lovely
garden area within the Mary Livingston Ripley
Garden in honor of Richard Brian Anderson. This
gift was made possible through a generous donation by
William (Bill) Logan Hopkins. Through the years, Richard
and Bill considered the Ripley Garden their “special”
garden, spending time enjoying its beauty of the garden,
and gleaning planting ideas and inspiration for their own
garden. We are most grateful for this thoughtful gift and
look forward to using it to enhance the beauty of the
Ripley Garden for the benefit of all who visit.
Through the years, generous donors have contributed to
the beautification of the Smithsonian campus with every-
thing from benches memorializing individuals with a love
of gardens to endowments established to design, install
and maintain the Smithsonian gardens. Gifts to Smith-
sonian Gardens have often served as catalysts for new
projects and provide opportunities to fully realize our
vision for Smithsonian Gardens where the museum
experience is extended in a public garden setting, inspiring
visitors with innovative displays and educating about horti-
culture, plants, the natural environment and artistic design.
Interested in helping Smithsonian Gardens do more?
Visit www.si.edu/giving/ways-to-give
or contact [email protected]
DONOR SPOTLIGHT AN EXTRAORDINARY GIFT
FROM BILL HOPKINS IN HONOR OF RICHARD ANDERSON
Barbara Faust with Mr. Bill Hopkins (seated) at Food
in the Garden discussing vegetable gardening with
horticulturist Joe Brunetti.
23
Hundreds of garden slides (see below) dating from the 1950s and 1960s taken by Garden Club of America (GCA) member Adelaide Pratt of the Chestnut Hill (MA) Garden Club were donated by the GCA Archives to the Archives of American Gardens (AAG).
Garden designer Lois W. Poinier donated a scrapbook of images documenting her and her mother’s own gardens in New Jersey. The images span several decades and show in great detail how the gardens evolved over time. The scrapbook has been added to the Lois W. Poinier Collection already at AAG that includes images of Mrs. Poinier’s design work and historic glass lantern slides used for lecture purposes.
Garden designer Mary Riley Smith donated her collection of design files to AAG. Her work includes numerous rooftop gardens in Manhattan as well as public spaces such as St. John the Divine and the Colony Club in NYC. Her 1992 book, The Front Garden: New Approaches to Landscape Design, features several of her designs.
Four species of Pterostylis in the form of bulbs were donated to the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection. These propagules are from orchids that won the highest possible score from the American Orchid Society for specimen plants (99 points). Since these are colony-forming species, these propagules will be clones of the highly-awarded individuals. Several bulbs of a Diuris hybrid were also received with this collection.
Smithsonian Gardens is grateful for continued
support from the Smithsonian Women’s
Committee, which came this year in the form
of a second grant to fund additional work in
the Urban Bird Habitat. This year’s grant
funded the expansion and completion of the
garden and the addition of interpretive
signage. Phase II garden enhancement
included the planting of over 30 native trees
and countless native shrubs and perennials to
add multi-season interest and important habitat components for migratory and native D.C. birds. The
completion of Phase II also connected the endcaps of the garden, thus providing contiguous habitat
along the entire south and west sides of the National Museum of Natural History.
Grants
Acquisitions
24
S t a f f
Born and raised in Nebraska, Debra earned her Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. During her career she’s worked for lawn care services, a botanical garden, in research, and wholesale greenhouses. For the last six years, Debra has taken a side track, growing the minds of youth instead of plants, while working as a 4-H program coordinator for UNL. We are delighted to have Debra as our new horticulturist for the Butterfly Pavilion at the National Museum of Natural History.
WELCOME: DEBRA AUSTEN
Dedication
25
In December, AAG staff received the Smithsonian
Secretary’s Awards for Excellence in the Digital
Enterprise category along with five other units who were all
part of a Rapid Capture Pilot Team coordinated by SI’s
Digitization Program Office. According to the citation, “This
group enhanced the ability of the Smithsonian to digitize
collections efficiently and share them with the world. Rapid
capture projects optimize physical and digital workflow by
harmonizing speed with object safety and quality imaging.
These projects have demonstrated a dramatic increase in
productivity.”
Jeff Schneider, Grounds Manager, was recognized as a
2014 Employee of the Year by the Director of the Office of
Facilities Engineering and Operations (OFEO).
Jonathan Kavalier, Supervisory Horticulturist, completed
the Certified Grounds Manager (CGM) program, developed
by the Professional Grounds Management Society. It is the
premier program of its type in the Green Industry.
Sarah Hedean and Jonathan Kavalier completed the
Smithsonian’s Emerging Leader Development Program, a
pilot mentorship program to develop rising stars in the
Institution.
Sarah Hedean, Vickie DiBella, Tom Mirenda and
Cheyenne Kim received a 2014 OFEO Director’s
Employee of the Year award in recognition of their work on
achieving NAPCC certification for the Smithsonian Gardens
Orchid Collection.
Brett McNish, Supervisory Horticulturist, received the
National Museum of American History’s Rodris Roth
Memorial Prize for his peer lecture at the Conference on
Salt.
Mike Allen
Debra Austen
Joseph Brice
Cindy Brown
Thomas Brown
Joe Brunetti
Matt Burch
Erin Clark
Joyce Connolly
Francis Cooper
Kelly Crawford
Joe Curley
Graham Davis
Alexander Dencker
Vickie DiBella
Allison Dineen
Kurt Donaldson
William Donnelly
Janet Draper
Randy Dudley
Barbara Faust
Matt Fleming
James Gagliardi
Vanessa Garner
Shelley Gaskins
Jill Gonzalez
Michael Guetig
Tom Hattaway
Paula Healy
Sarah Hedean
Kevin Hill
Shannon Hill
Stan Hilton
Monty Holmes
Meredith Hubel
Greg Huse
Sean Jones
Jonathan Kavalier
Cheyenne Kim
Ed Kunickis
Joel Lemp
Sherri Manning
Brett McNish
Tom Mirenda
George Morgan
Darlene Price
Christine Price-Abelow
Melanie Pyle
Michael Riordan
Daniel Russell
Jeff Schneider
Rick Shilling
Jeff Smith
Alex Thompson
Sarah Tietbohl
*New Addition
*Resigned
*Retired
SG welcomed Matt Burch as its new horticulturist at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Matt comes to us by way of the National Park Service where he was a gardener at the White House, working primarily in the First Lady’s vegetable garden. Matt also owns an organic farm in the Winchester, VA area. Additionally, Matt served in the United States Marine Corps, and has a Bachelor of Science degree from West Virginia University with a major in Horticulture and a minor in Floriculture.
WELCOME: MATT BURCH
Recognition 2014 Staff
26
Vo l u n t e e rs
In 1994 Smithsonian Gardens (then the Horticulture Services Division) joined forces for the first time with the horti-
cultural institutions, public gardens and arboreta in the Washington Metropolitan Area to honor our most valuable
resource, our volunteers. During National Volunteer Week in 1994, a special day at the U.S. National Arboretum
was organized to thank the many volunteers who donated countless hours supporting our institutions and programs.
2014 marked 20 years of this collective celebration of our public garden volunteers. This momentous occasion was
once again marked by an Appreciation Day held at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. “20 Years of
Celebrating Volunteers” was organized by the Horticultural Consortium of the Greater Washington Area, which
invited our volunteers from D.C. area public gardens for an evening of good food, presentations, tours, door prizes
and fun.
The enthusiasm and dedication of this most valuable resource—our volunteers—inspire the Institution, staff, and
visitors each day. Smithsonian Gardens couldn’t achieve what it does without the support of our volunteers. We
look forward to celebrating the next 20 years with this devoted and talented group of individuals!
20 Years of Appreciation
27
Sonia Agosto
Terry Anderson
Ann Balch
Doris Balinsky
Patricia Bendorf
Sandra Blake
Laszlo Bockh
Nancy Bort
Paulina Donna Brandes
Christopher Brook
Susan Bruns
Shahla Butler
Casey Kneipp
Sandra Chacko
Joseph Cialdella
Eugene Cross
Patricia Cunniff
Loretta d'Eustachio
Shruti Dube
Denise Fayne
Lorraine Fishback
Lynn Furrow
Shilpa Gadwal
Federica Galli
Thomas Garnett
Lynda Garnett
Donice Gilliland
Linda Greensfelder
Eva Griffeth
Arvind Gupta
Shyama Haniffa
Anne Hardman
Heather Hare
Julie Harless
Joan Havens
Jamie Ann Hester
Lynne Hirschfeld
Gail Hodge
Henry Hu
Johanna Janukatys
Heidi Johnson
Peter Karvellas
Joan Keenan
Maryam Keleshame
Eva Lanyi
Judith Lesser
Taylor Lockett
Philip Maggi
Jeanne Maloney
Norman Marks
Nancy McGuire
Merril Mille
Susan Miller
Patricia Mink
George Morgan
Audrey Morris
William Peters
Carol Pihlstrom
Bruce Pihlstrom
Nina Pitkin
Serenity Purcell
Annette Ramirez de Arellano
Bryan Ramsay
Stephen Robinson
Christine Rose
Linda Rosenfeld
Nancy Sahli
Michael Salapka
Christina Schreiner
Carol Schremp
Jane Simpson
Manjeet Singh
Martha Smith
Robert Sullivan
Diane Svenonius
Pat Taylor
Elizabeth Trangsrud
Marcy Wasilewski
Laurel Wessman
Lynn White
Marca Woodhams
INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING? Smithsonian Gardens is a wonderful place to make a
meaningful contribution, form new friendships, learn new skills, and have fun. You'll find choices to
suit your interests, talents, and abilities. Specialized training will be offered to prepare you for your
volunteer role. In other cases, prior experience may be necessary. If this is of interest to you,
please contact [email protected] or visit www.gardens.si.edu/get-involved/volunteers.html
2014 Volunteers
Volunteer Appreciation Day at the U.S. National Arboretum
28
Living Collections
Orchids: 8,433
Trees: 1,901
Total New Accessions: 531
H i g h l i g h t s
Archives of American Gardens
Documented gardens in the U.S.: 7,500
Digitized images: 24,000
Number of collections: 42
Hand-colored glass lantern slides: 3,500
Earliest image: 1870s
Education
Programs: 82
Tours: 215
Attendees: 15,327
Interns
Total Interns: 11
Fellows: 2
New YES! Program interns: 2
Number of Universities Represented: 10
Staff
Full-time: 55
Part-time/Seasonal: 1
Administration
Individual purchases executed: 545
Budget Execution Rate: 99.8%
29
Social Media
Voted a “Top 10 Science Museums
Instagram accounts to follow”
The most visited/shared/viewed blog of
all Smithsonian social media platforms:
A Century of Cherry Blossom Watches
Virtual Visitation
Website Visits: 119,252
International Visits: 35%
Facebook Likes: 4,288
Twitter Followers: 3,811
Instagram followers: 4,365
Pinterest followers: 2,235
Blog subscribers: 151
Volunteers
Individual Volunteers: 54
Total Hours Contributed: 3,502
Horticulture
Acres: 180
Acres Under Cultivation: 25
Greenhouses: 14 (53,000 sq. ft)
Bedding plants produced: 100,000
Sustainability
Composting: 240 cu. yds.
Recycling: 144 cu. yds. plastic pots
Fountain water savings: 43,000 gallons
Structural Pest Control
Work Orders completed: 157
30
Top Related