New England Wild Flower Society Contact: Rick Stockwood rstockwood@newenglandwild.org (617) 953-0178 Andropogon Associates Contact: Elizabeth Kulkarni kulkarnie@andropogon.com (215) 487-0700 x408
For Immediate Release
NEW ENGLAND WILD FLOWER SOCIETY HIRES ANDROPOGON FOR GARDEN IN THE WOODS MASTER PLAN (Framingham, MA) December 12, 2012.....New England Wild Flower Society has selected Andropogon Associates, of Philadelphia, to develop a comprehensive master plan for Garden in the Woods, its renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts. The project brings together the nation’s oldest plant conservation organization and the acclaimed landscape architecture firm that for nearly four decades has led the profession in ecological and sustainable design. The master plan will chart a future for the 45-acre property that will realize the full potential of the beautiful site, strengthen the garden displays, improve visitor services, and meet the challenges of a changing climate. “Our need to address the new flood-drought cycle on the site and the effect on the Garden of the region-wide decline of hemlocks gives us the perfect opportunity to thoughtfully renew the Society’s crown jewel and to create an even more magical place,” said Debbi Edelstein, New England Wild Flower Society’s Executive Director. “We are delighted to partner with Andropogon, as the firm is uniquely qualified to develop a master plan that innovatively aligns horticulture with the conservation mission of the Society and sets a new standard for sustainable design and management at botanic gardens.” Garden in the Woods was started in 1931 as the private garden of landscape architect Will Curtis, who designed pioneering naturalistic displays to take advantage of the exceptional features of the site, including high, steep ridges with valleys containing a pond, wooded bog, numerous springs, and a lovely brook. He collected seeds and specimens from across the country, experimented -continued-
with new methods for growing plants, and developed the largest landscaped collection of native plants in the Northeast. In the decades since he turned his life’s work over to New England Wild Flower Society in 1965, Garden in the Woods has become an accredited living museum with a national reputation as a leader in native plant horticulture, propagation, and education. The first comprehensive master plan for the entire property will honor the historic character of the Garden while expanding the collection, improving the visitor experience, and upgrading facilities to meet the needs of a modern public garden. “We are honored to have been chosen to collaborate with the New England Wild Flower Society in this extraordinary endeavor. This opportunity, to guide the evolution of this living museum so it may better respond to the environmental and socio-economic circumstances occurring more than eighty years after the Garden’s creation, will be a seminal and truly gratifying undertaking,” said José Almiñana FASLA, Principal with Andropogon Associates, Ltd. “Our goal will be to develop a master plan that provides Garden in the Woods the resilience necessary to maximize its capacity to support the Society’s mission into the future.” The year-long master planning process is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Hope Goddard Iselin Foundation. The plan will likely be implemented in phases over the next decade. The first public information sessions on the master plan will be held at Garden in the Woods on Thursday, January 17, 2013, 1-2 pm or 7-8 pm. Please RSVP to lreed@newenglandwild.org to register. ### About New England Wild Flower Society The mission of New England Wild Flower Society is to conserve and promote the region’s native plants to ensure healthy, biologically diverse landscapes. Founded in 1900, the Society is the nation’s oldest plant conservation organization and a recognized leader in native plant conservation, horticulture, and education. The Society’s headquarters, Garden in the Woods, is a renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts, that attracts visitors from all over the world. From this base, 35 staff and more than 700 volunteers work throughout New England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs. The Society also operates a native plant nursery at Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts and has eight sanctuaries in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont that are open to the public. About Andropogon Associates Since its founding in 1975, Andropogon has been committed to the principle of “designing with nature,” creating beautiful and evocative landscapes inspired by the careful observation of natural processes and informed by the best environmental science. Its principals and staff have exceptional experience with the design and planning of botanic gardens, arboreta, and historic landscapes; having guided the long term evolution of several prominent institutions including the Morris Arboretum, Crosby Arboretum, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Dallas Arboretum, the United States Botanic Garden in Washington DC, and Olmsted parks and landscapes located in New York, Buffalo, and Louisville. The firm brings a unique professional perspective for developing truly integrated and sustainable sites. By working with the physical, cultural and natural patterns and processes of a site, Andropogon’s “place first” design approach integrates the natural structure of the site with the built environment to create high performance landscapes that facilitate ecosystem restoration, responsible land and water management, and the innovative use of energy and renewable resources. With every project the firm strives to embody their mission...“to weave together the landscapes of man and nature for the benefit of both.