Environmental / sustainability networking, education and communication

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Provincial garden destinations, including MUN Botanical Garden, launch Garden NL Network

(The following is press release authored by the newly minted Garden NL Network.)
A group of garden destinations from across Newfoundland and Labrador has launched the province’s first network for garden-related tourism destinations, with the goal of raising the profile of gardens and garden experiences in the province.

Garden NL includes a dozen members, representing a myriad of garden experiences aimed at both residents and tourists alike. The partnership is expected to benefit all members, as they connect to address challenges, collaborate on opportunities, and, ultimately, increase visitors across the board.

The network has been formed as part of a national initiative for the Canadian Garden Council supporting local and regional networks of people who have an affiliation or interest in gardening. As one of the 10 national lead gardens, MUN Botanical Garden is well aware of both the wonderful plants and gardens this province has to offer, and the unique conditions of our tourism industry.

“We are thrilled to come together as a network to share and promote our beautiful gardens and by working collaboratively we hope to spread the word – there are a host of beautiful gardens to discover – each beautiful and unique that tell the special stories of our province,” Kim Shipp, Director, MUN Botanical Garden.

To celebrate the launch of the Network, Garden NL is inviting all members of the public to enter for a chance to win a package from Garden NL member, the Doctor’s House Inn and Spa. To enter, please visit: https://event-wizard.com/gardensnl/0/register/ . The contest ends on August 1st.

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For more information, please contact:

Kim Shipp, Director
MUN Botanical Garden
Phone: 864-3326 (or 330-3751)
Email: kshipp@mun.ca

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Charlie Horwood Memorial Lady Slipper Walk

Saturday, June 24, 2017, 10am-12pm

NatureNL has an annual short fieldtrip on Mount Scio to view the pink lady slipper orchids. Initially this walk was led by Charlie Horwood, a long-time natural historian and a founding member of NatureNL. Since his death, we have continued the traditional outing as the Charlie Horwood Memorial Lady Slipper Walk. While the re-growth and development of trails in the area have markedly reduced their numbers, we typically see several hundred blooms in the 75 minute easy walk. Due to the late spring we have scheduled the outing a week later than it traditionally would have been.

We will meet at the MUN Vivarium Parking Lot, off Mount Scio Road, opposite and a bit east of the MUN Botanical Garden entrance. Park in the paved lot off that roadway, on the right very near Mount Scio Road.

For more details, contact Allan Stein, or visit us at naturenl.ca.
Leader: Allan Stein | arstein@mun.ca | (709)895-2056

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Nature NL May Public Talk: “Connecting New Canadians and Nature” by Liz Andres

May 18, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Science Building, Room 2105, MUN campus

Elizabeth (Liz) Andres will talk about our project, “Connecting New Canadians and Nature”. NatureNL secured funding for this pilot project and Liz served as the project coordinator. We collaborated with the Association for New Canadians and the Grand Concourse Authority to plan, carry out, and evaluate activities tailored specifically for newcomers to the province. Liz will provide an overview of the project, a comprehensive evaluation of the project, and will discuss the future of similar programming in St. John’s.

Elizabeth Andres is a passionate conservationist with an interest in the human dimensions of natural resource management. She received her M.Sc. in Conservation Leadership from Colorado State, where she approached research on resource access and community participation from a systems perspective. Elizabeth currently works as a research assistant in MUN’s Department of Sociology, and continues to seek out opportunities to utilize social science to better understand people and their connection to the environment.