What will my child do in the Children's Gardening Program?

Throughout the season they are enrolled, Crafters and Sprouts plant and care for a garden and learn about garden-related topics through fun enrichment activities. Each session includes time dedicated to hands-on gardening and time dedicated to learning about a particular theme, through investigations, hikes, discussions, and games. Caregiver accompanying their Sprout actively participates along with their Sprout.

Where does the Children's Gardening Program take place?

The program takes place outdoors at the Edible Academy (EA). The campus is located near the East Gate and includes gardens, classrooms, greenhouse, open air pavilions (offering relief from sun and rain), restrooms, water bottle refill station, and hand sanitizer dispensers. The classrooms and greenhouse will not be utilized during the program. The Edible Academy campus is NOT open to the public during the CGP sessions.

Does my child harvest and keep what they grow?

Many of the crops the Crafters and Sprouts plant and care for are harvested during the season they are enrolled. Some of the crops are left to grow and are harvested by the Crafters and Sprouts enrolled in subsequent seasons. Some of the crops will be harvested by Edible Academy staff and donated to local community-based food providers.

Does my child choose what they grow?

In order to have seeds and seedlings ready each program session, EA staff develop planting plans that include a diversity of crops that are seasonally appropriate. Each season more than a dozen different vegetables, herbs, and flowers are grown.

How does my child get to the Edible Academy?

Crafters and Trams are transported to and from the Edible Academy on the NYBG Trams. Trams depart from the Tulip Tree Allee. Crafters Educators join the Crafters to provide supervision during the ride.

Who teaches my child during the Children's Gardening Program?

NYBG hires and trains Crafters and Sprouts Educators to facilitate the gardening and enrichment activities planned by Edible Academy administrators. Each Educator is assigned up to 12 Crafters or 12 Sprouts and accompanying caregivers and is supported during program sessions by several Edible Academy administrators as well as Assistant Educators.

What efforts are being made to promote my child's safety during the program session?

All activities of the Children’s Gardening Program will take place outdoors; all staff and participants are required to wear face coverings indoors and in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and the Edible Academy. Hand washing stations and hand sanitizer stations are installed throughout the Edible Academy campus. All garden tools will be disinfected with an alcohol-based disinfectant in between users. Enrichment activities will include hikes and games that promote social distancing.

How do I enroll my child in the Children's Gardening Program?

You can enroll https://www.nybg.org/learn/kids-teens/childrens-gardening-program/ or via phone at 718.817.8181.

When does registration for the Children's Gardening Program begin?

You can register your child for Spring 2022, Summer 2022, and/or Fall 2022 sessions now.

Do NYBG Members receive a discount?

Yes, we offer CGP Crafters and Sprouts at a discounted rate for NYBG Members at the Family Level and above.

Are discounts available for enrolling in more than one season?

Yes, we offer a 10% discount for enrolling your child in three or more seasons. Please use code CGP1022 at check out.

Do you offer financial scholarships?

Yes, you may apply for a https://nybg.doubleknot.com/form/takesurvey.aspx?surveyid=83821&orgkey=3803 .

Who do I contact if I have further questions regarding the Children's Gardening Program?

You can email childed@nybg.org or call 718.817.8181

How can I purchase or renew a Membership?

You can purchase a Membership https://www.nybg.org/join-support/membership/ , on-site at any ticket window, or by calling the Membership Office. To purchase online you’ll have to create a new Member account. Renewing Members have an existing account. https://www.nybg.org/content/uploads/2019/11/ME_Members-Login-Info_2019-Final.pdf

Trade-in Tickets Towards Membership

If you have purchased regular-priced admission to the Garden, during your visit the ticket price can be applied to the cost of a Membership. For Individual and Teacher level, the cost of one regular-priced ticket is applied. The cost of two regular-priced tickets can be applied towards the purchase of a Dual Membership. The cost of two adult and two children’s tickets can be applied towards the purchase of Family–Sustaining Memberships. Please see a Visitor Services Representative on the day of your visit for additional details.

When will I receive my Membership materials?

Please allow 2–3 weeks from the date of purchase to receive your Membership materials. We will assume all proper Membership materials have been received unless notified. Please notify the Membership Office if you have not received your Membership materials 3 weeks after purchase.

Renewals may be processed at any point once your Membership term has commenced. When you renew an active Membership, it will be extended for one year from the current expiration date. The Membership Office does not retain the credit card information. This information must be re-submitted with each renewal.

When can I begin using my Member benefits?

Member admission and discounts can be used immediately upon purchase of Membership. Member Passes for guest admission or parking will be sent with your Membership materials within 2-3 weeks of purchase. Member passes can only be redeemed by presenting the physical pass at the Garden.

What admission benefits do Members receive?

Membership entitles you to year-round admission. Each Membership is allotted a fixed number of complimentary Member tickets per day determined by Membership level.

What discounts do Members receive?

Members receive a 10% discount off purchases at NYBG Shop. Members also receive discounts on education course fees and on select premium events.

Do I have to reserve tickets for timed entry?

Timed tickets may be required for admission to the Garden. This is necessary to alleviate overcrowding, ensure a more pleasant experience, and protect the Conservatory, collections, and delicate exhibitions.

How do I redeem my Member Passes?

To receive complimentary parking, redeem pass to the parking attendant upon arrival on Garden premise. When parking at our secure parking facility at 401 Bedford Park Blvd, Members must validate parking ticket and redeem pass at a Garden ticket window to avoid Event and Standard Weekday non-visitor rates. For guest admissions, passes can only be redeemed at Garden ticket windows; they cannot be reserved in advance. Each pass can be used once. If you do not have your passes when you visit, you will be required to pay regular price (no refunds).

How do I redeem Member Passes for timed-entry admission?

If a Member with a timed ticket brings a friend using a guest pass, Garden Representatives will do their best to accommodate the guest(s) at the same time. Additional timed tickets are available for purchase at regular price if you have exceeded the number of complimentary admissions allowed by your Membership level.

Can I give a friend one of my Member passes?

No. Members are required to accompany their guest(s) when using a guest pass.

Are Member Passes always valid for guest admission?

Member Passes are not valid for guest admission during the Holiday Train Show® or select premium events.

What reciprocal benefits do Members have at participating gardens and arboreta?

Garden Members receive reciprocal benefits at gardens and arboreta throughout the United States through our association with the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program. Benefits vary by organization. Members must contact the Garden they wish to visit confirm what benefits are available. A complete listing can be found https://ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/rap/ .

Can I access the Garden prior to opening hours?

Early Morning Access is a great way to enjoy the beauty and solace of the New York Botanical Garden’s grounds before the Garden is open to the general public. Supporting, Contributing, Sustaining, and Patron level Members can utilize their complimentary Early Morning Access from Tuesday–Sunday, 6–10 a.m. Please have your Membership ID card or proof of Membership purchase (receipt) available when entering the Garden. Please note that no building entry is allowed with the exception of the Visitor Center and East Gate restrooms and parking is only available at the Mosholu Entrance (2950 Southern Blvd.).

How long does it take to receive my Membership card(s)?

Membership cards and passes will be mailed within 2-3 weeks of Membership purchase. Membership is active upon purchase and is not contingent upon the receipt of Membership materials.

How many cards will I receive?

Individual level will receive one Membership card. Memberships that include two or more individuals will receive at most two Membership Cards, one for each adult named on the Membership. If a Member wishes to add a new second individual to the Membership during cycle, there is a $10 replacement card fee.

Do I need my Membership card to access my benefits?

No. If you do not have your Membership card, a photo ID will be requested by Garden Representatives to receive your Member benefits. Member benefits are for the Member(s) listed on the Membership.

I lost my card. How do I get a replacement?

There is a $10 replacement fee for lost, damaged, or stolen Membership Cards You can purchase a replacement card at any ticket window when visiting the Garden or by calling the Membership Office. Please allow 2-3 weeks for the mailing of replacement card(s).

Membership is valid for one year from the date your application is processed. No refunds, extensions, or exchanges will be granted if you are for any reason unable to utilize your Membership Benefits.

Memberships, Membership Benefits, passes, and Membership Cards are nontransferable.

Membership Downgrades

The Garden does not permit a Member to downgrade to a lower Category once the Membership materials have been received and/or benefits have been used.

Membership Terms & Conditions

These terms and conditions apply to all Members of the Botanical Garden. In these terms “you/r” or “Member/s” refer to all people who have purchased or applied for a Membership at the Individual, Individual Senior, Dual, Dual Senior, Family, Family Senior, Friends & Family, Supporting, Contributing, Sustaining, and Teacher categories. The terms “we”, “NYBG”, “the Botanical Garden”, or “the Garden” refer to The New York Botanical Garden. With the exception of the benefit of admission to the Garden, we reserve the right to alter the Membership Categories and Benefits without prior notice. Members and guests are subject to conditions and policies of the Garden. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to refuse entry and/or Membership to a Member and to revoke a Membership without refund if a Member behaves in a threatening or abusive manner toward any person, or damages or threatens to damage any of the collections at The New York Botanical Garden. We reserve the right to amend the terms of these policies at any time. At the time of an amendment, Members will be notified.

What’s the advantage of attending the school of professional horticulture versus earning an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in horticulture?

The advantage can be summarized with one word—skills! The School’s strength is that it teaches students valuable horticulture skills, which give our graduates a competitive advantage over other programs based solely on coursework. The School’s program combines the theoretical and the practical, teaching not just how to grow plants, but why plants grow the way they do. It is due to this kind of education that our students are highly sought after, not just for internships, but also for full-time employment upon graduation.

As someone who is switching careers, what is it like to work in the horticulture industry?

It is a close-knit community of dedicated and passionate professionals who are willing to share their knowledge, experience, information, and employment opportunities. As a student, you meet many key people in this profession from around the world in diverse areas of horticulture, and as a graduate, you become part of that community. One of the biggest benefits of attending the School is making these lifelong contacts here at NYBG and beyond.

What is the typical demographic of students in the school?

Students come from all over the country and world. Most students have some college background, and many have degrees in fields other than horticulture. The majority of students are career changers and range in age from their late teens to mid-50s.

What is the job placement rate for graduates?

The School has had a job placement rate of 100% for the past 8 years. Our alumni are highly sought after by botanical gardens, public parks, celebrity estates, and even major league sports stadiums. Exceptional students also are often hired at NYBG upon graduation when a position is available. However, the School does not promise or guarantee employment.

What kind of salary can I expect to recieve

Generally, private industry pays more than public parks and gardens. The starting salary range in private industry is typically $50,000–$60,000; for non-profits it is $40,000–$55,000.

How is the two-year program divided?

The program is divided into nine terms. Academic classes are concentrated between rotations and include evening sessions.

What if I have fewer hours of experience by application deadline, should I still apply?

Yes; contact the Director to assess your situation.

How many course hours should I expect to take?

Students are required to complete 630 Course Hours and 1,990 Horticulture Rotation and Internship Hours in order to qualify for graduation.

How many hours of studying can I anticipate?

On horticulture rotation days, students start at 8 a.m. and finish at 4 p.m. On class days, students may start at 10 a.m. and finish at 6 or 9 p.m. Students also can expect to have classes some evenings throughout the year. Some courses require homework and studying outside class hours.

Why are some courses taught in the evenings?

Many courses are taught by our expert Horticulture staff. Due to their daytime schedules, they are only free to teach after 4 p.m.

Is it possible to work part-time while I am a student in the School?

Due to the intense schedule of academic courses and work rotations, in addition to various lectures, field trips, and plant ID walks, it’s nearly impossible to hold a part-time job, find time to study, and stay in good academic standing for the two-year program.

What does one recieve after Graduating from the school?

After successfully completing the program, students receive a Diploma in Horticulture from The New York Botanical Garden.

Housing is available in the Bronx and lower Westchester County within a convenient distance from the Garden. Housing is not provided by the School, and out-of-town and international students are advised to secure housing prior to arriving in New York.

When does orientation start?

Orientation starts the last week in January. New students meet staff and become familiar with the Garden’s philosophies, policies, and facilities. Orientation and special group projects with Horticulture continue through February and March to prepare students for their horticulture rotations in the spring.

Does the school provide computer access?

Computers are available 24 hours a day in the Student Room, M-280. Students may be assigned an NYBG e-mail address if desired. In addition, there is Wi-Fi service in the Watson Building and other buildings on campus.

What study and dining facilities are available to students?

Classrooms and academic facilities are in the Watson and Library buildings. The Student Room is available for meal breaks, studying, drafting, and computer use. Horticulture training is carried out at locations throughout the Garden. The Garden’s Pine Tree Café on Garden grounds is open Tuesdays through Sundays, and students enjoy a 20% discount. The Café serves pizza, panini, salads, snacks, and beverages. The Hudson Garden Grill is a more formal dining option on Garden grounds. There are also several moderately priced diners, cafés, and pizzerias within walking distance of the Garden.

News and Media Archive - 2019 | New York Botanical Garden

Science Advances: Global and future distribution of rarity across land plants

An international team of researchers, including an NYBG scientist, has concluded that more than a third of all plant species are exceptionally rare, making them highly vulnerable to extinction from such threats as habitat destruction and climate change.

In a study published by the online research journal Science Advances, scientists analyzed the largest compilation of global plant observation data ever assembled to determine how many of the roughly 435,000 total plant species should be considered very rare. They found that 36.5 percent, or more than 158,000 species, fall into that category.

SCIENCE TALK BLOG POST

SCIENCE ADVANCES ARTICLE

One Thousand Plant Genomes: Understanding One Billion Years of Evolution

Did you ever wonder how a pumpkin is related to a pine tree? Our scientists are using new scientific tools to build the tree of life by comparing the genes from over 1000 species of plants. Take a dive into the origins of Earth’s nearly 500,000 plant species.

SCIENCE TALK BLOG POST

NATURE MAGAZINE ARTICLE

São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) highlights activities of the Atlantic Forest Dimensions research project

Scientists working on the Atlantic Forest Dimensions research project seek to understand broad patterns of biological diversity in the Atlantic Coastal Forest of Brazil.

The project is a multidisciplinary collaboration bringing together researchers with expertise in botany, zoology, environmental sciences, genetics, and physiology from institutions including NYBG, The City College of New York, and the University of São Paulo.

One of the primary goals of the project is to explain and predict the distribution of plant and animal species in this endangered yet megadiverse Brazilian biome. This study is enabling the reconstruction of historical factors influencing current biodiversity and, given a range of climate change scenarios, permit the prediction of the future composition of biodiversity in the Atlantic forest or elsewhere. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, and the Brazil-São Paulo equivalent of NSF (São Paulo Research Foundation; FAPESP). Recent updates from FAPESP highlight aspects of the project, including the following:

Researchers examine the effect of historical climate change and human-mediated dispersal on the distribution of Araucaria, emblematic keystone trees in the Atlantic Coastal Forests of Brazil (Article in Portuguese)

Researchers gather for international symposium on biodiversity of the Atlantic Coastal Forests (Article in Portuguese)

More information: Atlantic Forest Dimensions of Biodiversity Web page

New Online Resource: The Hand Lens

Take a closer look at our herbarium collections and the endless stories they can tell. See features on expeditions taken around the globe by our researchers, art and history represented in our specimens, and much more.

THE HAND LENS

Coastwatch: Hiding in Plain Sight

The author follows James Lendemer and former NYBG graduate student Jessica Allen as they perform lichen inventories and monitor the results of transplantation studies on the mid-Atlantic coastal plain. The article also has a very useful summary of basic lichen biology.

COASTWATCH ARTICLE

Photo by the author, Julie Leibach.

Google AI blog: Announcing the 6th fine-grained visual categorization workshop

In recent years, Fine-Grained Visual Recognition Competitions (FGVCs) have spurred progress in the development of image classification models focused on detection of fine-grained visual details in both natural and man-made objects. This year, Google is delighted to announce a new partnership with The New York Botanical Garden for the Herbarium challenge.

In the Herbarium challenge, researchers are invited to tackle the problem of classifying species from the flowering plant family Melastomataceae. This challenge is distinguished from the iNaturalist competition, since the included images depict dried specimens preserved on herbarium sheets, exclusively. Herbarium sheets are essential to plant science, as they not only preserve the key details of the plants for identification and DNA analysis, but also provide a rare perspective into plant ecology in a historical context. As the world’s second largest herbarium, NYBG’s William and Lynda Steere Herbarium contributed a dataset of over 46,000 specimens for this year’s challenge.

This year there will be a wide variety of competition topics, each highlighting unique challenges of fine-grained visual categorization, including an updated iNaturalist challenge, fashion & products, wildlife camera traps, food, butterflies & moths, fashion design, cassava leaf disease, the iMet Collection challenge, and the Herbarium challenge.

GOOGLE AI BLOG

Image of staff working in the Virtual Herbarium

Barnard College collaborates with NYBG Herbarium to teach students “The Global Power of Botany”

This short video highlights Barnard’s interdisciplinary course, “The Global Power of Botany: Plants and Profits.” In this course, students are provided with hands-on experience and they pursue projects with a digital component in collaboration with the Garden’s William and Lynda Steere Herbarium.

The course challenges students to see the world through plants and the important roles they play in all aspects of our lives. Barnard Professor Hillary Callahan explains, “In the last 20 years, botany has reinvigorated itself with the coming of data science, computers, and imaging, making botany more vital today than ever.” According to Barnard biology major, Ibigail I. Gutierrez, “The course helped me understand the significance of online data and how it can inform us about the diversity that surrounds us, without having to go out and collect field data.”

STORY AND VIDEO

Group of people sitting in a circle surrounded by dark green leaves and dark green trees, holding machetes, hacking on breadfruit plants.

Traditional lifestyles, transition and implications for healthy aging

A team of researchers including New York Botanical Garden scientist Michael Balick has found that citizens of a Pacific island nation who are in transition between traditional, agrarian communities and modernized areas are more likely to have unhealthful lifestyles than those living in either traditional or modernized communities.

The findings from the study of residents of the state of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia have important implications that are applicable to the greater global population, including the United States, given that contemporary western society is transitional at its core.

The PLOS ONE article was published by an interdisciplinary research group that includes authors from The New York Botanical Garden, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, North Carolina State University, American Academy of Family Physicians, Columbia University, Conservation Society of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), The Nature Conservancy—Micronesia Office, and University of Hawaii at Manoa.

READ THE ARTICLE

A scientist prepares an herbarium specimen.

Biodiversity Collections Network: Extending US Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education

On April 4, the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) released its report “Extending US Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education.” The report was developed by a team of scientists including NYBG’s Barbara Thiers.

The report proposes a vision for how institutions such as NYBG can harness our wealth of collections to address environmental challenges such as climate change and species loss.

BCoN is a five-year initiative funded by the National Science Foundation to support the development of a sustainable community of practice to ensure that biodiversity collections are digitally available for wide uses in research and education. BCoN was founded from a combination of societies, including the Natural Science Collections Alliance, for which Barbara Thiers is currently serving as Vice President, and the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), for which Barbara is currently serving as President.

LINK TO BCON REPORT

Peruvian media: Six new plant species discovered in a single National Park in Peru

Peru’s national parks and protected areas have incredible levels of biodiversity, but the discovery of a cluster of new species of plants has captured the attention of that country’s government agencies, news media, and blogs.

Along with his team of collaborators, NYBG scientist Fabian Michelangeli discovered six new species of Melastomataceae (Princess flowers) in a single National Park, Parque Nacional Yanachaga Chemillén. The species were discovered as part of multi-institutional, NSF-supported project, “Planetary Biodiversity Inventory: A complete web-based monograph of the tribe Miconieae (Melastomataceae)” led by Dr. Michelangeli at NYBG.

Read more about the new species of Melastomes (articles in Spanish):

Rumbos de sol y piedra: Conoce las nuevas especies de plantas registradas en Parque Yanachaga Chemillén

Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado (SERNANP): Descubren seis nuevas especies de plantas para la ciencia en el Parque Nacional Yanachaga Chemillén

Agencia Peruana de Noticias (Andina): Descubren seis nuevas especies de plantas en Parque Yanachaga Chemillén

El Comercio: Descubren seis nuevas especies de plantas en Parque Yanachaga Chemillén

Diario Las Américas: Descubren seis nuevas especies de plantas en un parque nacional de Perú

SPDA Actualidad Ambiental: Descubren seis nuevas especies de plantas en el Parque Yanachaga Chemillén

La República: Descubren seis nuevas especies de plantas para la ciencia en parque nacional de Oxapampa

Bioscience: The Evolution of Natural History Collections

Increasingly, natural history collections are used not only to chronicle the history of species but also as sources of new information on cutting-edge research, as new research tools move specimens and data to center stage. The author interviews several scientists, including NYBG’s Barbara Thiers.

Dr. Thiers speaks on behalf of NYBG and as the President of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, and the article exposes a fascinating diversity of uses of specimen data.

VISIT BIOSCIENCE

Press Release: NYBG Scientist Names New Lichen Species in Honor of Oprah Winfrey

An NYBG scientist and his colleague have named a new species of lichen in honor of Oprah Winfrey, who was born in the region where the lichen is found. The species can be identified in part because of its bright glow under ultraviolet light. It is the first species named for Ms. Winfrey.

MORE INFORMATION

Taft School Website: NYBG Partnership with Taft

For nearly five years, Taft School and The New York Botanical Garden have enjoyed a growing and meaningful partnership. Taft students work side-by-side with renowned scientists and college and graduate students during summer internships at NYBG.

Each year, the Garden welcomes Taft students to its classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and research spaces. The research activities of the students include collecting, specimen digitization, molecular systematics, and genomics.

LEARN MORE

A photo of the Palm Dome in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Garden Rant: Crowd-Sourced Botany

The New York City EcoFlora enlists New Yorkers to photograph wild plants they observe around the cityscape and upload the photographs using the iNaturalist platform. With the help of 3,541 citizen scientists, EcoFlora has in two years’ focus on the city (2017-2018) recorded observations of 3,180 different species of plants, fungi and lichens.

MORE INFORMATION

Science News and Media Archives

News and Media Archive – 2019

Science Advances: Global and future distribution of rarity across land plants

One Thousand Plant Genomes: Understanding One Billion Years of Evolution