Brooklyn Botanic Garden
2024 - $10,000 General Operating Support
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s (BBG) mission is to connect people to the wonder and power of plants, sparking delight and curiosity about science, culture, and our environment to help create a greener, more sustainable city and world.
BBG was founded in 1910 by civic leaders who sought to create one of the world’s first urban botanic gardens. Located in the heart of Brooklyn, where more than 2.6 million people live, the Garden welcomes more than 850,000 visitors annually, nearly 30% of whom access BBG free of charge through Community Tickets, winter free admission, free entry for children under 12, education and community group visits, and partnerships such as the public library Culture Pass program.
The Garden’s early vision, deeply influenced by the social welfare reforms of the time, sought a major shift from the gated academic botanic gardens of that era to prioritize greater access for all to education and open space, while providing an inspiring and innovative site for world class plant collections and gardens. This early vision continues to guide BBG today. The public value of nature, education, and beauty shape not only the Garden’s physical landscape but also its enduring role as a civic and cultural institution. BBG’s lasting commitment to community engagement and hands-on learning, along with its position as a leader among public gardens, has contributed to the evolution of botanic gardens across the United States and beyond as places where a broad public is welcome and their stories celebrated.
BBG is a 52-acre living classroom, a beautiful green space, a platform for community engagement, and a vibrant cultural anchor in Brooklyn. Recognized for leadership in horticulture, education, and sustainability, BBG cares for a diverse collection of plants and serves a diverse public. The Garden’s programming includes education programs that annually reach tens of thousands of individuals through in school and on-site science education, initiatives that cultivate deep engagement in urban greening throughout Brooklyn, and public programs that encourage visitors to appreciate nature, connect to plants, and imagine a greener future.
BBG is a recognized local and national leader in the field with distinguished contributions in:
- Horticulture: BBG's living collections count 10,000 plant species and cultivated varieties, including 850 globally or locally rare or endangered species. Comprising 32 garden areas and collections and five climate-controlled indoor conservatories, BBG's world-class collections showcase plants from around the globe and those that are native or regional.
- Education: BBG reaches tens of thousands of children, families, teachers, and lifelong learners annually through drop-in and registered programs, in-school science education, teacher training, youth environmental leadership programs, professional certification and training, adult classes, a library, urban greening initiatives, and more. More than 150,000 people participate in BBG's education programs, and more than 50,000 are impacted by community greening efforts catalyzed by the Garden's outreach.
- Conservation & Sustainable Practices: BBG’s densely planted 52 acres offer many benefits for the ecosystem and people living in New York. The Garden maintains 70% tree canopy, which is essential to removing pollution from the atmosphere, cooling, and storing carbon, and cares for hundreds of threatened and possibly threatened plants. BBG has also long been a leader in modeling sustainable practices, including organic gardening methods and integrated pest management, the award-winning Steinberg Visitor Center (LEED Gold accredited), the innovative Water Conservation Project (reducing BBG's outdoor freshwater consumption by nearly 96 percent), and borough-wide, community-based composting initiatives.
BBG’s integrated approach centers plants as an essential foundation in nature-based education, community environmental action, interdisciplinary arts and cultural events, and sustainable practices—advancing the Garden’s vision of a future where plants, people, and our planet flourish together.