"Exclusiveness in a garden is a mistake as great as it is in society." - Alfred Austin
As a graduate of the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture, I have had the privilege of gaining an academic and working knowledge of the daily operations on a hundred acre botanical garden. During these three years, my interest in ethnobotany led to my internship at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawai’i, where I observed and learned about Hawai’ian cultural plant use. These experiences coalesced in my action project: an exploration of public gardens engaging diverse audiences through programming and outreach. I believe social diversity in public garden institutions is equally as important as biological diversity and that promoting diversity in garden programming, audiences, and staff can address some of the environmental and social challenges we face today. I am currently studying at the University of Delaware, where I am an MS Candidate in the Public Horticulture program. As a Longwood Graduate Fellow, I am involved in public garden management projects, as well as my master's thesis on racial diversity in public garden leadership. I can be reached at tqiu[at]udel.edu. |