SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES AT THE GARDEN
At New England Botanic Garden we believe that public gardens are essential — they play a vital role in the health and happiness of our collective world. As horticulturists, educators, and community leaders, we implement sustainable initiatives to help maintain healthy habitats in our private and public spaces, so people, plants, and wildlife thrive on this planet for generations to come.
Our garden spaces and plant collections are the heart of our organization. As we look to the future, we have the responsibility to approach our collections through a climate change and resiliency lens. This means weaving sustainable practices through our landscape operations as well as effectively conserving and managing the wild edges that surround our gardens. It also means creating a botanic garden that can be a resource to other institutions, municipalities, or industry professionals looking to make sustainable transitions.
ECOLOGICAL LAND CARE
As we’ve grown and expanded over the years, our land care methods have also grown, evolving into the careful and ecologically minded approaches we take today.
GARDEN BENEFICIALS
Insects play essential roles in our ecosystems and are important components of our gardens. In outdoor garden spaces we steward habitats for pollinators, while indoors we look to beneficial insects to help control pest populations.
HEALTHY SOILS
The horticulture team employs practices that promote healthy soil, like using plants as living mulches, limiting use of chemical fertilizers, and spreading locally sourced goat manure throughout our gardens.
INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY
Our efforts to be more sustainable are affected by a variety of challenges such as the availability of materials and technologies. We counter those challenges by seeking alternatives that allow us to reduce our overall impact.
DECARBONIZING HORTICULTURE OPERATIONS
Action on climate change involves reducing our demand for fossil fuels. Through electric equipment and renewable energy, the horticulture team demonstrates the potential for climate-neutral landcare operations.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH
In collaboration with the community, the Garden advances climate related urban greening initiatives, promotes environmental justice, and creates opportunities for people to connect with nature and learn about the essential role plants play in our lives.