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Become a Garden Guide (2010)
Category(-ies): 2010 Archives , Opportunities
UBC Botanical Garden's Guiding program is open to anyone who is interested in learning and sharing their enthusiasm of the Garden, plants, sustainability, the environment and/or biodiversity with the public. It's a great way to meet people, learn something new and enjoy the all benefits of the longest operating University Botanical Garden in Canada.
Contrary to popular belief you don't actually need to be a "plant expert" to be a Garden Guide, you learn to be one through the program.
We ask that people be able to walk outside for the length of a standard tour (approximately one hour), speak English fluently and attend one of our training sessions plus two "shadow tours" where they join in and observe one of our more experienced guides in action. The commitment requirement that we ask is a minimum of two tours per month during our peak season (May - Sept).
June Training Sessions:
Sunday, June 20th, from 10am to 2:30pm
Tuesdays June 15th and 22nd, from 7pm-9pm (must attend both)
If you are interested in becoming a Garden Guide or would like more information, please contact Ingrid Hoff at or 604-861-3005.
Read more on Volunteering at UBC Botanical Garden.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:20 PM on May 27, 2010
Dr. Tetsuo Koyama and Makino Botanical Garden
Category(-ies): 2010 Archives
On May 26 at 1:30pm, Dr. Tetsuo Koyama of Makino Botanical Garden will present a special lecture to the public and the university community. The lecture will be held in UBC Botanical Garden's Reception Centre (Directions to UBC Botanical Garden).
Makino Botanical Garden (Kōchi Kenritsu Makino Shokubutsuen) is located in Kochi city, southern Shikoku island and opened to the public in 1958. It commemorates the achievements of Dr. Tomitaro Makino, commonly regarded as the father of Japanese botany. It contains roughly 3000 species of plants. These include collections of Rhododendron, Acer, Chrysanthemum, serpentine and limestone plants as well as those of Kochi prefecture. Dr. Tetsuo Koyama has been director of this garden since 1999, when he brought his considerable knowledge as Senior Curator and Director of Asian Botany at the New York Botanical Garden.
Whether conducting plant surveys and inventories to contribute to a Flora of Myanmar or enriching relationships with North American institutions, Makino Botanical Garden's research partnerships are international in scope. Its commitment is to making a difference in the world's plant life and helping to draw an important connection between the profound relationship between plants and people. With that in mind, Dr. Koyama will visit the garden on Wednesday May 26th, preliminary to undertaking research on local populations of plants that are also found in Japan.
We are fortunate for this opportunity to welcome Dr. Koyama and look forward to his words on the Garden he has had an integral part in developing into an internationally renowned botanical institute.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:35 PM on May 20, 2010
