Visit Our NYBG Open House
12–4 p.m.
Meet NYBG Staff from our Horticulture, Library, Science, and Herbarium departments to learn about the work they do each day to support our environment—both behind-the-scenes and around the globe. Enjoy demonstrations and workshops that provide hands-on learning opportunities for all ages against the backdrop of one of our most iconic collections: the Tulip Tree Allée.
Meet the Scientists
The Science Division of The New York Botanical Garden encompasses several departments and programs and includes more than one hundred scientists, including staff, graduate students, Emeritus Curators, and Adjunct Scientists. All are working toward the Garden’s scientific mission to explore, understand, and conserve Earth’s vast botanical diversity. Meet with select members of our Science division and enjoy an up-close look at specimens, books, collecting equipment, and other props that facilitate their work.
- Brad Oberle, Ph.D.
As an Associate Curator at the New York Botanical Garden, Brad focuses on plants and microbes, which interact to drive the global carbon cycle in habitats transformed by people. To identify where, when and why ecosystems face tipping points and species face extinction, Brad draws techniques from ecology, evolution and statistics. Then, to translate novel science into effective action, he partners with community groups, natural resource managers and policy makers. Together, they advance innovative, practical solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises. - John Mwihaki (MJ)
As an NYBG/CUNY graduate student, MJ is passionate about plant systematics, ecology, evolutionary biology, and biodiversity conservation. He is currently studying the evolutionary history of African tree ferns with the goal of understanding their biogeography, species distributions, and how they respond to climate change. - Lawrence Kelly, Ph.D.
Lawrence Kelly is Vice President of Science Administration and Director of Graduate Studies at NYBG. His research focuses on the evolution and classification of flowering plants in three different groups: the birthwort family (Aristolochiaceae), the sweetleaf family (Symplocaceae), and certain members of the kiwi family (Saurauia, Actinidiaceae).
Connect with the Mertz Library Collections
The LuEsther T. Mertz Library’s outstanding collections represent over a century of commitment to botanical and environmental research. The skilled Library staff serve as an invaluable resource by providing the highest-quality resources and services to meet the needs of the Garden’s diverse research, instructional, and outreach programs, including the Garden’s research staff, botanists, and horticulturists as well as scientific, scholarly, and artistic communities worldwide and the public at large. Enjoy a robust display of Earth Day related reading; jump into the fun with plant-themed games; or bring to life black and white Herbarium scans with Color Our Collections.
Composting with Bronx Green-Up
Bronx Green-Up provides horticulture education, training, and technical assistance to Bronx residents, community gardeners, urban farmers, local schools, and community organizations. The program is the visible presence of the Botanical Garden beyond the Garden’s gates, inspiring NYC residents to get involved in improving their communities through greening projects. Stop by to learn about upcoming public events, workshops, and volunteer opportunities. Check out their composting worm bin and more!
Herbarium Hoopla
NYBG’s William and Lynda Steere Herbarium is a resource for the global botanical research community. It contains approximately 7.8 million plant and fungi specimens, making it the second-largest herbarium in the world. Learn how these specimens are collected, preserved, and studied by researchers with NYBG’s Herbarium team. Become a botanist and make your own herbarium specimen to take home.
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden Pop-Up
Learn how plants sprout from seed with a hands-on activity led by our Children’s Adventure Garden Explainers Program!
Location Garden Grounds