By Grace Elton, CEO, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill
December 2023
The end of the year always feels like a time for reflection. Here at New England Botanic Garden, 2023 marked another year of tremendous achievement and growth. Looking back on the highlights fills me with gratitude because we could not have made the profound impact that I’m so proud of without the support of our dedicated community. This includes staff, Garden members, volunteers, donors, visitors, and fans. Our commitment to connecting people with plants has never been stronger, and we make it happen in so many different ways.
Welcoming Visitors:
- In 2023, we welcomed more than 200,000 visitors to the Garden to experience the wonder of plants, learn about the natural world, and make joyful connections.
Educational Offerings:
- Our robust lineup of educational classes, workshops, exhibits, events, and programs created meaningful, accessible, and hands-on learning experiences for people of all ages catering to the diverse needs and interests of our community — 4,928 adult education participants and 10,414 youth and family education participants took part in these offerings.
Outreach:
- Collaborating with residents and community-based organizations in Worcester, the Garden advocated for and supported healthy and climate-resilient communities. Our staff enhanced urban green spaces by transforming traffic islands and rotaries, planting 235 trees, and installing 33 large-scale planters on city streets lacking tree canopy.
- Additionally, with the support of funders, we brought nature-based educational programs to youth from under-resourced communities in greater Worcester, covering topics like habitats, tree science, climate change, environmental justice, green industry careers, and more.
Expanded Access:
- New England Botanic Garden partners with the Card to Culture program to offer discounts throughout the year to individuals with an EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare card. In 2023, during the months of June, July, and August, we extended free admission to eligible participants through this program.
Community Engagement Events:
- This year, the Garden partnered with different organizations to bring events to the community, including the Arbor Day Festival in Worcester. Onsite, our partnerships led to hosting diverse events such as low-sensory evenings with HMEA’s Autism Resource Central, celebrating LGBTQ+ pride with Pride Worcester, and more.
Conservation and Sustainable Initiatives:
- Accessible, hands-on, and youth-oriented garden, our new Climate Garden opened in the summer of 2023 and demonstrates agriculture techniques for