As a public garden, it is vital that we work with integrity to serve all communities and make sure our spaces and programs are welcoming and relevant to all.
At UW Botanic Gardens, we are thinking deeply about the mission of our organization and public gardens as a whole. We see ourselves as a resource for community education and engagement, a steward of urban green space for recreation and restoration, and curators of collections with important conservation value. But there are many communities who have not been served by or engaged with our work. We see the colonial history of plant collections and the implicit and explicit exclusion of BIPOC communities from green spaces like public gardens as injustices that shape our past and present and must be countered as we move into the future.
This free lecture series explores how gardens like ours can evolve to meet the needs of communities of Washington both today and in the future. Whether you are a long-time friend of public gardens or someone who does not find value or comfort in a typical American public garden setting, we invite you to this conversation so we can jointly chart a path forward.
Come to hear exciting perspectives and ideas from local community members and explore opportunities for public gardens to grow in new directions. RSVP for each conversation using the links below.
Series flyer PDF
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September 21, 2022, 9am-12pm: in-person, Washington Park Arboretum
New Directions in Public Gardens Town Hall: Breaking New Ground
Our 2022 speaker series, New Directions in Public Gardens, brought us together in conversation to explore a new vision for how public gardens can serve their communities. These discussions planted the seeds, bringing awareness to community needs and priorities that gardens can support. We invited interested parties to continue the conversation by developing action plans that will guide our efforts as we grow together into the future. We hosted a half-day, co-creative workshop at the Washington Park Arboretum to map out opportunities for gardens to have the greatest impact in meeting the needs of our community. |
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 September 20, 2022, 6:30-8pm: virtual
Sean M. Watts
Principal | SM Watts Consulting, and Community Land Conservancy Co-founder
Sean’s work focuses on empowering communities to drive environmental and land use policy and helping historically white-led organizations move from awareness to action on diversity, equity and inclusion. He has worked for two decades to bridge gaps between science, policy and society to create solutions that yield the greatest human health and ecological benefits and in 2021 he co-founded the Community Land Conservancy: a people of color-led land conservancy that acquires land for parks in historically underserved communities. This conversation explores next steps for public gardens in engaging in and supporting this work. |
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 August 23, 2022, 7-8pm: virtual
Paris Yates
Seattle Parks & Recreation Urban Food Systems Program
Seattle Parks & Recreation’s Urban Food Systems Program is a series of activities that are relevant and timely for every community in Seattle: access to healthy food, engagement with equitable and sustainable environmental practices, opportunities for active recreation and cultural place-making. This conversation will explore the background of gardens vs. agriculture, discuss opportunities for the role of public land in supporting urban food systems, and consider how to effectively engage with BIPOC communities. |
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 July 12, 2022, 7-8pm: virtual
Paulina Lopez
Executive Director | Duwamish River Community Coalition
The Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC) works to elevate the voice of those impacted by the Duwamish River pollution and other environmental injustices for a clean, healthy, equitable environment for people and wildlife. We promote place-keeping and prioritize community capacity and resilience. The Duwamish Valley Youth Corps is a DRCC youth engagement program focusing on environmental justice and job skills. This conversation will explore how public gardens can support the work of community-led groups like DRCC and engage with youth leadership development and job training programs. |
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 June 14, 2022, 7-8pm: virtual
Susan Balbas, Cherokee/Yaqui
Executive Director | Na’ah Illahee Fund
Na’ah Illahee Fund is an Indigenous women-led organization dedicated to the ongoing regeneration of Indigenous communities. Through grantmaking, capacity-building and community-based intergenerational programming, we seek transformative change by supporting culturally grounded leadership and organizing. This conversation will explore how public gardens can engage meaningfully with and support local Indigenous populations. |
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 May 10, 2022, 7-8pm: virtual
Mae Lin Plummer
Director | IDEA Center for Public Gardens
Mae Lin Plummer, the Director of the IDEA Center for Public Gardens, discusses what public gardens are and why we exist in our communities. Learn about the new IDEA Center for Public Gardens, how it will work to catalyze change in our field, and how can people engage with their work. |
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 Conversations hosted by
Christina Owen
University of Washington Botanic Gardens Director
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Support provided by:
