We are now accepting proposals for the 2012 Professional Outreach Project (POP) if you are located approximately within a 60 mile radius of Newark, DE!
What is POP?
Each year the Fellows collaborate with a local client institution to create a project in a specific area of public horticulture. Past projects include the development of a membership and programming plan for the Scott Arboretum and a meadow management plan for Bartram’s Garden. Please follow this link to learn more about past Professional Outreach Projects.
How to get involved:
We are now accepting proposals for the 2012 Professional Outreach Project. This year the Fellows are interested in pursuing a project in planning and development of interpretation efforts involving one of the following areas: natural habitat conservation efforts, community outreach, K-12 education, or ethnobotany. We encourage submissions with a variety of interpretative methods.
Follow this link to learn more and to submit your proposal.
Please contact Sara Levin with any questions at levin@udel.edu.
(photos by Nate Tschaenn & Raakel Toppila)
That’s a wrap for our 2012 Symposium! Months of hard work came to fruition at last on March 2, where we had a beautiful day to enjoy the Longwood displays and hospitality, as well as fantastic presentations by our speakers.
With well over a hundred attendees and twenty-one webcast audience members signing in from across the country (and even the UK), the Symposium went smoothly thanks to the diligent leadership of Symposium Lead Fellow Ashby Leavell, along with Assistant Lead Quill Teal-Sullivan. Even with all the parts that each Fellow had to play throughout the day to keep the event running, it’s safe to say that we were still able to enjoy the Symposium itself, as we hope our attendees did!
Our registration table all set up for the day.
Ashby Leavell opening up the Symposium.
Keynote speaker Jerry Borin, former Executive Director of the Columbus Zoo.
John Gwynne, former Chief Creative Officer and Vice President for Design at the Bronx Zoo.
Dr. Alistair Griffiths, Horticultural Science Curator, presents the history and current happenings of the Eden Project in the UK.
Kathy Wagner, Consultant and former Vice President for Conservation and Education at the Philadelphia Zoo.
The first half of the dynamic “storytelling session,” featuring storyteller Sally O’Byrne of the Delmarva Ornithological Society.
The second half of the storytelling session, by Huffington Post books editor Andrew Losowsky. *CLAP* (You had to be there.)
Our final speaker, Catherine Hubbard, Botanical Garden Manager at the Albuquerque BioPark.
Many thanks once again to our wonderful speakers, our sponsors, the Longwood guest services team, and too many others to mention in one place who helped out behind the scenes in different ways. And finally, thanks to all the Symposium attendees, who came out to learn and engage with us and with one another on the issue of conservation messaging at our institutions. We hope the experience was worthwhile for all, and that you will be back for another exciting Symposium next year!
The Longwood Graduate Program Symposium is fast approaching. The Fellows have been working hard to ensure the success of the event. However, none of that success comes without the support of our Symposium Sponsors. Each year, one Fellow takes the lead in raising funds to cover Symposium costs. This year, each Fellow had the opportunity to join Raakel Toppila in sponsorship meetings in which the Fellows learned, through experience, what it takes to cultivate donor relations. Like years before, public horticulture institutions and businesses near and far came forth with immense support for the Program and the Symposium. Nineteen organizations contributed funds and/or in-kind donations to the Symposium. We are forever grateful for their continued support of the Longwood Graduate Program.
Another aspect of our fundraising efforts involved a Former Fellow Campaign in which we reached out to graduates of the Longwood Graduate Program to support our efforts. Eleven Former Fellows contributed this year, in addition to former Program director, Dr. Jim Swasey.
On behalf of all the current Fellows and Dr. Lyons …THANK YOU.
This year’s Symposium Sponsors:
Speaker Sponsors
American Public Gardens Association
Chanticleer
Parvis Family Endowment
Golden Larch Sponsors
Color Advantage Photography
Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square
Mt. Cuba Center
Nemours Mansion & Gardens
University of Delaware Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
Silver Linden Sponsors
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
Center for Public Horticulture
Tyler Arboretum
Welkinweir
Copper Beech Sponsors
Adkins Arboretum
Garden Club of Wilmington
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Lark Label
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Delaware Botanic Gardens
Debra L. Rogers and Paul W. Meyer, Former Longwood Graduate Fellow, Class of 1977
Bronze Fennel Sponsors
Botanic Gardens Conservation International, U.S.
Dr. Jim Swasey, Former Program Director
Former Fellows
Jim Swasey, Former Program Director
Kathryn and Gary Gerlach, Class of 1969
Richard Brown, Class of 1970
Colvin Randall, Class of 1975
Jane Pepper, Class of 1978
Claire Sawyers, Class of 1983
Nancy Bechtol, Class of 1984
Erich Rudyj, Class of 1988
Patrick Larkin, Class of 1995
William Lefevre, Class of 1999
Matthew Quirey, Class of 2009
The Longwood Graduate Symposium, The Panda and the Public Garden: Reimaging our Conservation Message, is less than one month away, and we are busy as bees pulling together the last details of what will be a most enjoyable symposium experience – true to the Longwood tradition.
This year's graphics designed by Wonsoon, Sara, and Felicia
The Guest Relations Committee is dedicated to creating a pleasant and accommodating guest experience for our symposium registrants, so that you may enjoy the lecture sessions to the fullest. This includes organizing a delicious menu for the day, prepared by Longwood’s in-house catering services. Coffee and baked goods will be available when registration opens at 8 am – just in case you do not have time to grab breakfast at home. A lunch buffet will be offered at mid-day, followed by a lovely spread of sweet treats and Longwood’s famous pretzel twists at the afternoon break. Refreshments will be offered after the final lecture, so please stay for lemonade and a chat with the speakers and guests.
Podium decorated with flowers.
In keeping with the Longwood Graduate Program’s commitment to sustainability, the Guest Relations Committee has made an effort to reduce waste and use of non-recyclable materials. Your registration packet has been cleverly designed by Fellow Nate Tschaenn to be in a booklet format printed on FSC paper. The booklet approach will reduce the amount of paper needed to produce the packet compared to previous years. Compostable cutlery and dishware will be used for food service and later sent through Longwood’s composting system.
Ballroom during 2010 Symposium.
If you have not yet registered, please do so soon! Click here to be directed to our quick and easy online registration system.
And if you are traveling from afar and need a place to stay, the Guest Relations Committee has arranged for discounted rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square for registrants. Please book by February 16th to reserve your room. Click here to be directed to the special reservation page.
For more information regarding the symposium, please visit our official website or contact us at longwoodsymposium@udel.edu.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Quill Teal-Sullivan and the Guest Relations Committee
(written by Wonsoon Park, photographs by Abby Johnson)
How nice it has been for us to finally meet the people who we have been longing to meet while preparing for this trip. Eka was the one of those people that we have wanted to meet. Eka, who is in charge of research in Cibodas Botanical Garden, greeted us with a very genuine smile and happily guided us into the gardens. The Cibodas Botanical Garden is one of seven bioregions in Indonesia designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site as well as one of four national botanical gardens in Indonesia along with the Bogor, Bali, and Purwodadi botanical gardens. It’s located in Mount Pangrango adjacent to Mt. Gede-Pangrango National Park.
Group shot with director and research staff
We met the staff of Cibodas and had a meeting that included a presentation from the director, Dr. Didik Widyatmoko who has worked in the field of horticulture for twenty-four years as an endemic plant expert and held many different positions among a diverse array of Indonesian organizations. There are twenty-two research staff members who have a wide variety of specialties including taxonomy, medicinal plants, rhododendrons, and plant breeding and almost 200 workers in the garden. The garden was established in 1852 and focuses mainly on conservation, research, environmental education, and tourism.
Eka touring us through the orchid house
The eighty-five hectare garden is uniquely positioned because a natural preserved area surrounds it, which is important for their plant conservation. The garden has almost 500,000 visitors a year. Some of the research projects at the garden include carbon stock and biomass assessment, restoration and rehabilitation, bryophyte conservation, exploration and research of Sumatran montane forests, and ecological studies and forest dynamics. They also collaborate with BGCI on environmental education programs and teacher training.
Tree fern collection
After our meeting, we went out to explore the gardens. The most impressive garden was the bryophytes garden, which has 100 species growing very well under the perfect weather conditions for them. Beside the garden the Amorphophallus titanum plants, which have magnificent flowers every 4 years or so, each showed their single individual leaf that appeared as a big tree-like stem emerging from the ground. We were able to see the nursery where Indonesian plants that are collected on the yearly plant expeditions are held and the nurseries growing indigenous orchids and Nepenthes. There was also a cherry tree garden, rhododendron garden, begonia garden, medicinal plant garden, and cactus garden. The fern collection was well organized and included various tree ferns, the stems of which are sometimes used for orchid growing material. The Chinese also collect the scales of the fronds for medicinal purpose. After we saw the oldest tree in the garden planted in 1860, it started to rain. We kept touting to see the rest of Gardens and it looked even more special under the heavy tropical rain.
Bryophyte garden
Amorphophallus titanum
The next destination, Taman Bunga Nusantara was a totally different world. It had a water garden, French garden, rose garden, American garden, Balinese garden, and Japanese garden on the thirty-five hectare property managed by 150 gardeners. The garden was established in 1995 and shows relatively new and more stylish garden display. The Balinese garden and maze garden were the highlights of the trip since they were full of extraordinary plants that we have never seen before and made us feel like we were in a more exotic atmosphere.
One of the many whimsical displays at Taman Bunga Nusantara
(written by Tom Brightman, photographs by Martin Smit and Tom Brightman)
Today was a study in contrasts—between the stark reminders of the burgeoning Indonesian population (now 14 million strong in the Jakarta area), the steep slope deforestation for tea plantations, and the lush beauty and biodiversity of the sub-montane rainforest on the slopes of volcanic Mount Pangrango.
Tea plantations
Our driver skillfully maneuvered us up the narrow, serpentine, lorry and motorbike-choked road from the city of Bogor, through a profusion of roadside vegetable and fruit stands (life is not complete without enjoying the sweet and sour nirvana of a fresh-picked mangosteen) and satay purveyors. We drove past the lower slopes of Mount Pangrango that are covered in thousands of hectares of tea plantations, orderly and lovely, but devoid of their virgin rainforest cover. As we approached the Cibodas Botanic Garden, our point of embarkation for our rainforest trek, both sides of the road were filled with small, local plant nurseries boasting healthy inventories of every tropical plant imaginable. We met Eka Iskandar, a researcher from Cibodas, who turned us over to our guide for the hike, Ken.
Typical fruit stand
Gede Pangrango Park consists of a landscape dominated by twin volcanoes: Mt. Gede at 9,704 ft above sea level and Mt. Pangrango topping out at 9,904 ft. above sea level. The mountains’ slopes are very steep and are cut into by rapidly flowing streams that carve long ridges and deep valleys. To quote the official park guide, “Pangrango evokes esthetic feelings of what a graceful volcanic cone should look like and, reflecting its tranquil appearance, is classed as extinct. On the other hand, Gede is a very active volcano. Currently deceptively quiet, viewed over time Mt. Gede is one of the most active volcanoes on the island of Java.” Given the recent earthquake activity in Indonesia, we were glad that both were quiet this day!
Mushrooms
Our hike took us on a steep, rocky trail through thick sub-montane rainforest to our destination of the Cibeureum waterfall. Not one, but three waterfalls are formed by the confluence of the Cibeureum, Cidendeng, and Cikundel rivers. At over 90 feet tall, the falls crash into the lush surroundings, thrusting a cool mist into the forest below.
Cibeureum waterfall
The forest is full of plants competing for light. The large canopy trees host their own ecology of ferns, orchids, and climbing vines and provide a home to Ebony leaf monkeys, false cajoles lizards (pictured), and many spectacularly gilded butterflies. Plants of note included Rattan (Plectomia elongate), Arisaema filiforme, and numerous orchids.
Tree fern covered in moss and epiphytes
This level of biodiversity has not gone unnoticed. The park is one of seven World Biosphere Reserves in Indonesia, as designated by UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere program. Although just a remnant of the large rainforests that once dominated this part of the world, the Gede-Pandrango forest is impressive nonetheless.
False cajoles lizard
By now, you’ve hopefully heard about the 2012 Longwood Graduate Symposium, which is quickly approaching. Held on Friday, March 2nd at Longwood Gardens, “The Panda and the Public Garden: Reimagining our Conservation Story” is sure to shed new light on how public gardens (and zoos, aquarium, parks, and museums!) can inspire their audiences to advocate for conservation issues.
Our keynote speaker, Jerry Borin, served as the executive director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for sixteen years. During his tenure, Mr. Borin transformed nearly every aspect of the zoo, galvanized community support for global conservation issues, and cultivated a complete visitor experience. The keynote address will examine how zoos have developed into centers for wildlife conservation through international collaboration, effective messaging, and experiential display.
Dr. Alistair Griffiths will be arriving from the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, to analyze creating a public garden around an environmentalism message. Dr. Griffiths is the Horticultural Science Curator at the Eden Project, and will use the case study of commercializing a critically endangered impatiens to build awareness for conservation of Seychelles flora.
John Gwynne melds plant and animal conservation expertise. Speaking with twenty years of experience with integrated design for conservation messaging at the Bronx Zoo, Mr. Gwynne will examine marketing environmental issues to the typical visitor. He will also explore living museums in the US, and their connections to his international conservation endeavors.
Catherine Hubbard comes to us from the Albuquerque BioPark, which includes a zoo, aquarium, botanic garden, and park. She has over 30 years experience working in both zoos and gardens and will discuss conservation strategies currently employed by American zoo and aquarium facilities.
Kathleen F. Wagner has more than 30 year’s experience, including time at the Philadelphia Zoo and independent consulting with zoos, museums, botanical gardens, interpretive centers, and aquariums throughout the country. She will bring her experience together to show that successful conservation is about great storytelling and helping people connect the dots. Message relevance and effective evaluation techniques will be discussed.
If successful conservation is all about great storytelling, we need to learn how to tell better stories! To help us do that, we invited Sally O’Byrne and Andrew Losowsky. Sally O’Byrne, President of the Delmarva Ornithological Society and board member of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and the Delaware Nature Society, will share the significance of conservation messaging through the art of storytelling. Andrew Losowsky, award winning journalist, playwright, content curator, thinker, and Books Editor of the Huffington Post, will dramatically explain what makes a story compelling.
Don’t forget to register soon! Please visit the 2012 Longwood Graduate Symposium Website for more information.
(written by Abby Johnson, photographs by Nate Tschaenn)
Approximately 1300 meters above sea level is one of Indonesia’s many wonderful treasures. Bali Botanic Garden, lives up to its slogan, “culture and conservation in harmony.” The garden’s diverse collection of medicinal, ceremonial, and conservation plants reflect the pride of Bali. The lush green landscape is lined with bishop’s wood echoed by tree ferns and an extensive palm collection. Other delightfully engaging features include collections of over 250 magnificent species of orchids, over 200 glorious species of begonias, and 2 hectares of trees ferns. These collections along with others include plants found in the wild of Indonesia as well as propagated species. Conservation efforts are desperately needed to preserve the tree ferns. Tree ferns are often cut for use as a medium to grow orchids.
Dr. Adji touring fellows through the gardens
Bali Botanic garden opened in 1959 but was devastated by a volcanic eruption in 1963. Today, about fifty centimeters of volcanic ash contributes to the rich soil mixture. The diverse population of plant life is thriving. 10% of the world’s orchid population grows in Indonesia.
Group shot in front of a giant statue depicting the Hindu legend of the epic battle between Kumbakarna Laga and a monkey army.
Our gracious guides, Dr. Adije and Mr. Wede, re-introduced us to familiar plants from an edible perspective, like eating the new leaves of athyriums. The most coveted sighting in the garden was the amorphophallus, the largest unbranched inflorescence. Certain species have edible bulbs. Our guides also highlighted plants that offer premium prices on the market like Ratan, which grows wild here in Bali!
The garden composts all possible natural materials and rubbish from the garden. Three months later, the outcome is healthy organic compost used in the onsite nursery as well as compost sold to local farmers and residents.
Some of the hybrid begonias in the garden's extensive begonia collection
Overall our visit to beautiful Bali Botanic Garden was educational and inspiring. We recommend you visit Bali botanic garden too!
Group shot in the begonia garden.
(written by Sara Levin, photographs by Martin Smit)
We made it to Bali on Friday evening accompanied by Wendy and Tom who joined us for the second leg of our trip. Bali is fresh and fragrant with bright flowers found everywhere from the Plumeria strands handed to us as we left the airport to the small colorful Hindu offerings set out each morning.
Hindu offering
We started our first full day in Bali with a visit to the IDEP Foundation, an NGO that strives to “help people help themselves by cultivating resilient and sustainable communities.” IDEP uses permaculture education to help the community in a variety of ways. They offer workshops on natural disaster preparedness and recovery by teaching earthquake-resistant building techniques and educating communities on how to sustainably rebuild after a natural disaster.
IDEP Demonstratioin Garden
They work with school groups to teach organic horticulture techniques and have an outreach program with prisons to teach prisoners how to grow vegetables and save seeds. The IDEP farm consists of a small demonstration garden featuring permaculture practices to help teach the community about organic gardening. They have sites all around Indonesia and a few neighboring islands. We were incredibly impressed with their work. More information on the IDEP Foundation can be found at www.idepfoundation.org.
Nelumbo nucifera
We ended our first day in Bali with a trip to Taman Tirtagannga, the water temple. This beautiful temple was once a retreat for the royal family. Today it is a pubic oasis, tucked away among the rice fields in eastern Bali.
Rice fields close to Tirtagannga
Taman Tirtagannga
(written by Nate Tschaenn, photographs by Abby Johnson)
On our last full day in Singapore, we took a trip away from the many tall buildings of mainland Singapore to a smaller, largely uninhabited island on the northeast side of Singapore called Pulau Ubin.
Boat ride from mainland Singapore to Pulau Ubin
In the morning we met with Dr. Robert Teo, assistant director of the park at Palau Ubin, who described some of the work National Parks has been doing on the island. The name Palua Ubin roughly translates “granite island” and several granite quarries once operated on the island. The quarry industry, along with the farming of various crops like rubber and coconuts, left the island badly damaged. In 1977 National Parks started to manage the island to protect and restore the biodiversity of this area. Since this time 254 new species of plants have been recorded in Singapore and 69 species once thought extinct in Singapore were rediscovered.
Tour of sensory garden trail
After our meeting, we were shown the butterfly garden, which attracts 80 different species of butterflies. We were also given a tour of the sensory trail where we had the opportunity to see, touch, smell, and taste many interesting plants. While on the tour we were very lucky to see a hornbill, a beautiful bird that had once been driven off the island due to the destruction of its natural habitat by the quarry and agricultural operations.
Oriental Pied Hornbill
One of the large trees found on the island
After lunch we visited Chek Jawa, a wetland park on the far eastern side of Pulau Ubin. Here we had a fantastic tour through the wetlands and were able to see a variety of ecosystems in this one area, including mangroves, sandy beach, rocky beach, seagrass lagoon, coral rubble, sand bar, and coastal forest. The whole area was teeming with life, and we were able to spot beautiful birds, crabs, and lots of funny looking mudskippers. In December of 2001, Check Jawa was saved from a planned reclamation project that would have destroyed this natural area. Volunteers conducted a biodiversity survey and convinced the government to suspend the project, at least temporarily. We were certainly lucky to have been able to experience this beautiful park and hope that Singapore will continue to preserve these unique habitats.
Tour through the mangrove wetlands of Chek Jawa
This funny looking mudskipper is a species of amphibious fish
