History of Red Butte Garden - Fall 2018 Newsletter Article

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THE HISTORY OF THE GARDEN – 50 YEARS IN THE MAKING Derrek Hanson, Director of Events and Visitor Services

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joined the Red Butte Garden family 17 years ago. Since that time, I have witnessed the Garden grow from 3,000 members to over 10,000. Private event rentals have doubled. The concert series, which boasted nine shows in 2001, jumped to 30 shows in 2017. Garden visitation has increased by over one hundred percent from FY 01/02 to FY 16/17. The Garden has become so many things to so many people…it is a place where memories are made, a place to heal, a place to learn, a place to celebrate, a place to contemplate, it has become a respite on the edge of an ever-changing and vibrant city. I recently read a quote from David Boorstin, former Librarian of Congress, wherein he stated that “trying to plan the future without a sense of the past is like trying to plant cut flowers.” We are certainly not in the business of planting cut flowers, and for such a young garden we already have a rich and fascinating history to draw from to guide the bright future ahead of us. The Garden’s story begins with Dr. Walter P. Cottam, founding father of The State Arboretum of Utah, a pioneer in the conservation movement, and co-founder of what is now The Nature Conservancy. Dr. Cottam joined the University of Utah as

a botany professor in 1931. Shortly after joining the University, he began planting native plants in what became known as Cottam’s Gulch, at a site near President’s Circle, and began collecting trees and shrubs from around the country to evaluate them for use in Utah landscapes. Additionally, he proceeded to spend the next 30 years planting new and unusual trees throughout campus. Dr. Cottam was an outspoken preservationist, in 1947 he received national attention for his now famous but then controversial lecture titled: “Is Utah Sahara Bound?” wherein he stressed the importance of conserving water, soil, plant resources, and spoke out against overgrazing in fragile Western States. This lecture is still referenced in many Environmental Studies courses. In 1961, Dr. Cottam was instrumental in lobbying the Utah state legislature to designate the University of Utah campus as a state arboretum. The original legislation mandated that the arboretum “provide resources and facilities for cultivating a greater knowledge and public appreciation for the trees and plants around us, as well as those growing in remote sections of the country and world.” Shortly after the designation of the University of Utah campus as a State Arboretum, Dr. Cottam www.redbuttegarden.org

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