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Recent Press Releases

March 2024

San Diego Botanic Garden Hosts Medicinal Plants Research Symposium to Bridge Traditional Knowledge with Modern Science and Invigorate Local Collaborations

San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) hosted its first Medicinal Plants Research Symposium on February 27, bringing together leading researchers from academia, industry and nonprofits, along with tribal governments and other community partners to celebrate accomplishments from the first phase of its collaborative Medicinal Plants Project and look ahead at the future of medicinal plants research. Read more…

 

 

February 2024

4th Annual “World of Orchids” Returns to San Diego Botanic Garden, May 4-27

San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) announces the return of its fourth annual spring showcase, World of Orchids, running Saturday, May 4 through Monday, May 27. The exhibition will be staged in the Garden’s state-of-the-art, 8,000 square foot, glass-enclosed facility, the Dickinson Family Education Conservatory. World of Orchids is curated by SDBG’s highly awarded Artist-in-Residence, René van Rems, AIFD, who serves as Creative Director for the exhibition. Read more…

 

 

February 2024

Funds Awarded to 26 Urban Agriculture Projects Led by Public Gardens and Community Partners

The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) and American Public Gardens Association (Association) are awarding support to 26 public gardens and their community partners, including San Diego Botanic Garden and Healthy Day Partners. The 26 awards total $445,600 in support for public garden partnerships across the United States that will foster public engagement and education in urban food growing and build capacity in urban agriculture programs. Read more…

 

 

 

 

January 2024

Gardens Collaborate to Diversify STEM Workforce and Mentor the Next Generation of Scientists

Four public gardens, including Atlanta Botanical Garden, California Botanic Garden, San Diego Botanic Garden, and The Morton Arboretum, are collaborating to diversify the STEM workforce through a paid training and mentorship program for individuals who have completed a bachelor’s degree. Now in its second year, the Rare Plant RaMP (Research & Mentoring for Post-baccalaureates in Biological Sciences) network was developed to investigate the unprecedented global decline of plant biodiversity while also broadening the experience of individuals who were not able to participate extensively in research during their undergraduate studies. Read more…

 

September 2023

Colorful large flower installationsTickets Now on Sale for Lightscape at San Diego Botanic Garden, Reimagined for 2023

The holidays are already looking bright this year! Tickets are officially on sale for Lightscape at San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG), running select nights from November 17, 2023 through January 1, 2024. This year’s custom-designed one-mile walking trail will feature brand-new international artistic installations along with returning favorites that come to life after dark with color, imagination, and sound. Highlights to look forward to include a California poppy-inspired display, an illuminated laser sky, playful fiber optic flowers, and a bespoke floral display inspired by the topography of SDBG premiering in the US for the first time. Read more…

 

August 2023

San Diego Botanic Garden Announces Second Round of Community Outreach Program “Access Afternoons”

San Diego Botanic Garden announces its second round of Access Afternoons, a community outreach project that welcomes new audiences to the Garden, through funding awarded by the City of Encinitas. From September 2023 through February 2024 SDBG will partner with the Community Resource Center (CRC) to host group tours and various activities for CRC individuals and families in need.  Read more…

 

 

 

August 2023

San Diego Botanic Garden Hosts The Garden Party Annual Fundraiser on September 9

San Diego Botanic Garden presents The Garden Party, its annual fundraiser on Saturday, September 9 from 4pm-8pm. As SDBG’s largest fundraising event, proceeds from the evening will go towards supporting critical science, conservation and education programs that impact the Garden and beyond. This event will also honor Dr. Ruth Kobayashi with the 2023 Paul Ecke Jr. Award of Excellence. Read more…

 

 

August 1, 2023

Internationally Acclaimed Lightscape Announces Return to San Diego Botanic Garden, Reimagined for 2023

Lightscape will return for its second year to the 37-acre San Diego Botanic Garden from November 17 through January 1. The enchanting, after-dark, illuminated trail has been reimagined and will span one mile and feature spectacular sights with brand-new eye-catching artistic installations from international artists that come alive at night with color, imagination, and sound. Read more…

 

 

July 20, 2023

Seedling Grown from Atomic Bomb Survivor Tree Planted at San Diego Botanic Garden  

This August, San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) joins in partnership and unity with Green Legacy Hiroshima (GLH) Initiative to dedicate a newly planted ginkgo tree descended from a mother tree that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan more than 70 years ago. The Survivor Tree Commemoration will take place at the Garden on Saturday, August 5 at 4:15 p.m., corresponding to the exact time in Pacific Standard Time that the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.  Read more…

 

 

 

 

June 30, 2023

Rare Corpse Flower Expected to Bloom at San Diego Botanic Garden 

San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) expects a rare Amorphophallus titanum, best known by its common name as corpse flower, to bloom at the Garden over the next few days. The plant will be on public display in the Dickinson Family Education Conservatory, adding a thrilling new element to Savage Gardens, the carnivorous plant exhibition opening on Saturday, July 1.  Read more…

 

 

 

June 14, 2023

San Diego Botanic Garden Awarded $10,000 Grant from Cox Charities to Support STEM Education, Conservation, and Sustainability

San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) was one of 10 San Diego County nonprofit organizations to receive a $10,000 grant by Cox Charities, which awarded a total of $100,000 in grants for local programs focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education, conservation and sustainability, and military and veterans. Read more…

 

 

 

May 15, 2023

San Diego Botanic Garden Ushers in Summer Season with Concert Series Reprise and Major Exhibition Announcement

San Diego Botanic Garden is beckoning locals and travelers alike with a summer lineup featuring a fresh slate of events. The fan-favorite Summer Nights (July 13 – August 17, 2023) will be returning on select Thursdays and feature extended hours until 8 p.m., concerts, special events, along with specialty food and drink packages. The traveling exhibition, Savage Gardens, will run from July 1 through October 29 and spotlight carnivorous plants in the Dickinson Family Education Conservatory along with large-scale artistic installations. All of this will be in addition to SDBG’s regular calendar of classes and activities  Read more…

 

 

 

 

February 22, 2023

Botanic Gardens Collaborate to Mentor the Next Generation of Scientists

Two California botanic gardens – San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) in Encinitas and California Botanic Garden (CalBG) in Claremont – will be among four public gardens nationwide involved in a new national research network created to provide training in plant science for post-graduates. The network, known as the Rare Plant RaMP (Research & Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates in Biological Sciences) program seeks to investigate the unprecedented global decline of plant biodiversity and to broaden the experience of individuals who were not able to participate extensively in research during their undergraduate studies. Read more…

 

 

January 25, 2023

San Diego Botanic Garden Announces Return of Colorful World of Orchids Display Beginning March 11, 2023

San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) is set to host the third annual spring orchid showcase, World of Orchids, running Saturday, March 11 through Sunday, April 9, 2023. The exhibition will be staged in the state-of-the-art, 8,000 square foot, glass-enclosed facility, the Dickinson Family Education Conservatory, by SDBG’s highly awarded Artist-in-Residence, René van Rems, AIFD, who serves as Creative Director for the exhibit for the third year in a row. Admission to World of Orchids is included with the purchase of a one-day ticket or an annual membership. Read more…

 

January 11, 2023

San Diego Botanic Garden Plants 100 Rare and Native Oak Trees with Students from Ocean Knoll Elementary in Encinitas

As part of the Ocean Knoll Oak Restoration Planting Project, San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) invited more than 300 Ocean Knoll Elementary students to help plant 100 native oak trees throughout Ocean Knoll Canyon in Encinitas. Made possible by an Environmental Champions Grant from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), the project’s tree plantings took place over three days from December 13-15, with members of the SDBG Science & Conservation and Education teams engaging students in discussions about the importance of native plants and habitat restoration. Read more…

 

July 20, 2022

Internationally Acclaimed ‘Lightscape’ Coming to San Diego Botanic Garden For 2022 Holiday Season

From November 18 through January 1, Lightscape will illuminate evenings at the Garden with more than one million holiday lights, tunnels, fire, sculptures and artistic installations throughout a spectacular one-mile winding walking trail. Read more…

 

 

June 22, 2022

San Diego Botanic Garden to Debut “World of Houseplants” as Summer Exhibition

San Diego Botanic Garden opens its highly anticipated World of Houseplants show on Saturday, July 16. The exhibition, which runs for seven weeks – through Monday, September 5 – is staged in the Garden’s state-of-the-art, 8,000 square foot, glass-enclosed facility – the Dickinson Family Education Conservatory. Read more…

 

 

May 13, 2022

Fifty years of conserving traditional crop diversity a success, but some crops still lack protection

Conservation shows that a half-century of plant conservation in genebanks has been a major success for many crops. However, important crops are not protected as climate change, loss of traditional knowledge and urbanization threaten what remains. Read more…

 

children water plants with watering cansMarch 10, 2022

San Diego Botanic Garden Expands Access to More Diverse Audiences through Federal Grant

Last month, SDBG launched Access Afternoons, a community outreach project that welcomes new audiences to the Garden through funding the organization was awarded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS has given over $15 million in American Rescue Plan Act grants to support the role of museums, libraries, and collections-based institutions in helping their communities recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Read more…

 

 

 

March 8, 2022

San Diego Botanic Garden to Create a National Medicinal Plants Collection and Research Consortium

Last week, San Diego Botanic Garden launched a national medicinal plants collection and research consortium, made possible by a $384,000 grant from The Conrad Prebys Foundation. During the next year, SDBG and collaborators at the Salk Institute will establish what will become a best-in-class model for the curation and conservation of economic plants and the development of plant-based medicines. Read more…

 

 

All Press Releases

 

In the News

See links below for selected recent San Diego Botanic Garden news features.