Events
Upcoming Events for 2025
Regular online Round Table seminars, webinars, and workshops with educators from Ukrainian, Georgian, and Armenian botanical gardens and other organizations.
Support and funding of projects to enhance effective work with diverse audiences in the botanical gardens of Ukraine.
Further development of Therapeutic Horticulture in Ukraine, Armenia, and Georgia through online and in-person training, including evaluation of TH program results.
Site visits to European and US botanical gardens by Ukrainian botanical garden leaders to study management, fundraising, and overall garden development.
Past Events
In-person workshops in Armenia and southern Poland (for Ukrainian botanical gardens) on Therapeutic Horticulture in the fall of 2024.
Site visits and training in London for Ukrainian environmental educators from botanical gardens in the fall of 2024.
Regular online Round Table seminars and workshops with educators from Ukrainian, Georgian, and Armenian botanical gardens and other organizations throughout 2024.
Workshop for Ukrainian botanical garden educators in southern Poland October 9-12, 2023.
Trainings and site visits to environmental education organizations in the Seattle (USA) area by educators from Ukrainian, Georgian, and Armenian botanical gardens September 10-22, 2023.
Participation and presentations with partners from Ukraine and Armenia at the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) Annual Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, June 5-8, 2023, followed by visits and presentations at San Diego Botanic Garden and The Hutchinson Botanical Gardens.
2022-present: Online Round Table seminars with Ukrainian botanical gardens on topics relating to environmental education.
2022: Financial assistance to Ukrainian Botanical Gardens in a time of war and recovery.
2022: Workshops in Georgia (Tbilisi and Batumi) for educators in botanical gardens and other organizations, including representatives from Ukraine and Armenia.
2019 - 2021: Workshops in Ukraine and online for educators based in Ukrainian botanical gardens and national parks.
2011 - 2021: Seminars and workshops in Eastern Russia for environmental educators.
2010 - 2019: Working visits to the US by environmental educators from Eastern Russia.
Seminars and workshop topics have included:
Environmental education techniques and lesson plans for diverse audiences.
Therapeutic Horticulture introduction and development of pilot programs.
Natural History Interpretation strategies and goals, including signage.
Working with volunteers.
Development of educational eco-trails.
Nature restoration as an environmental and educational activity.
Evaluation of environmental education programs.
Note: PN’s exchange with Russia has been placed on hold owing to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and resulting sanctions.
PN Special Project to Aid Ukrainian Botanical Gardens in a Time of War and Recovery
In May 2022, PN initiated a fundraising campaign to assist Ukrainian botanical gardens in a time of war and recovery by donating $10,000 to four gardens. The campaign was led by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) with PN’s assistance, and expanded to ten gardens featured in BGCI’s outreach materials. Based on strong support from its international members, BGCI increased the funding goal of the campaign to 100,000 British pounds., which the campaign came close to reaching by the end of 2022. The focus of funding was on public programs, retaining staff, and maintenance of collections of Ukrainian botanical gardens. The gardens have been, and still are, serving as critical places of refuge and learning for large numbers of internal refugees and local citizens during this extremely difficult time. BGCI’s Ukraine Appeal is described on pp 16-17 of its Year in Review.
PN continues to work directly with Ukraine botanical gardens and national parks, providing multi-dimensional support for their public programs and goals, and offering input and expertise from international experts in the area of environmental education and outreach.