Tropical fruit conservation receives a boost

Fairchild Tropical Garden in Florida has received a 5 million USD donation from Mr. and Mrs. William F. Whitman to endow its Tropical Fruit Garden.

Dr. Mike Maunder, Acting Director of Fairchild, had this to say:

"This extraordinary gift from Bill Whitman, a dedicated horticulturist and plant explorer, allows Fairchild Tropical Garden's Tropical Fruit Program to reach its full potential as an internationally important center for horticultural research, plant exploration and the release of new fruit selections to Florida growers. Fairchild Tropical Garden will honor Bill's legacy through providing a safe repository for tropical fruit trees that represent an irreplaceable cultural and culinary heritage"

Links:

Fairchild Tropical Garden
Major New Funding for Fairchild Tropical Garden's Tropical Fruit Program via Businesswire

And a little tidbit which I find rather fitting - while we at UBC Botanical Garden have an Apple Festival, Fairchild has a Mango Festival.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:21 AM on November 18, 2003