The all-volunteer Botanical Garden of the Piedmont Board and other volunteers have focused in 2016 on the following to help pave the way for the Garden’s future design, construction and operations:
• Updated the Garden’s Mission and Vision Statements
• Established a committee to write a Request for Proposals by spring 2017 for the Garden’s overall landscape design
• Partnered with local master naturalists and the City of Charlottesville to conduct a BioBlitz – a benchmark survey of existing flora in the Garden
• Held an invasive species clean-up day in the Garden with assistance from master naturalists, and began collaborations with Blue Ridge PRISM about invasive species control strategies
• Adopted the tagline Celebrating Virginia’s Flora for the Garden, and initiated a rebranding process for a new logo and publicity materials, funded entirely by generous supporters
• Began a partnership with The Friends of Ian Robertson to establish an annual the Garden educational symposium honoring his memory and contributions to the horticulture industry
• Sponsored our second summer of butterfly walks in the Garden conducted by master naturalists
• Started collaborations with a University of Virginia fourth-year computer science class for custom development of volunteer, membership and donation management systems
• Launched a Speaker’s Bureau, and gave an the Garden PowerPoint presentation to garden clubs, schools and allied groups.
• Outreached to local school systems to share how the Garden may be a resource for teachers and students, and began formal collaborations with Albemarle County Public Schools on how the Garden may fit into the school system’s upcoming environmental studies program.
• Planted the first flower bed on the Garden property at the corner of Melbourne Road and John W. Warner Parkway using nursery product generously donated by local companies. Volunteers assisted in the planting.
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