OUR NEW STAFF MEM BERS

ROBIN RAKOWSKY, TBG’s new Manager of Library Services, has a Master of Information Studies from the University of Toronto. She has extensive experience in school, special and public libraries. Having worked with both adult and student volunteers, she understands the critical role our volunteer community has in the success of the Weston Family Library and attaining the TBG mission. She has also worked in marketing and editing.

Robin will support the TBG mission by leading the Weston Family Library, promoting opportunities for learning and supporting our volunteers. Robin will also be working on how to best engage our members and community in learning opportunities in the library as well as developing new and unique programs to help us continue to reach new and diverse communities.

She has a Professional Floral Design Certificate from Seneca College and has worked professionally as a florist!

◗ ROBIN GRANADOS, Financial Consultant, is an accomplished finance and business manager with a background in various public, private and not-for-profit organizations. She is also a certified Brain Based Coach helping her facilitate positive change in people by improving thinking. Robin is committed to guiding executive leadership teams, has a proven track record of building collaborative cultures, developing exceptional teams and streamlining effective processes to achieve business goals and objectives.

Robin is an enthusiastic problem-solver, strategic planner and process improvement leader who guides organizations through effective decision-making. As she says, being a CPA is much more than crunching numbers.

Robin’s skill set will be valuable as we work to update our systems and get our financial reporting calibrated.

◗ SAMUEL GROBISEN, our new Facility Operations Manager, will support and partner with team members who deliver mission-driven programming, positive guest experiences and the day-to-day administration, while assuring that the facility is best positioned to be an inspiring plant place, an engaging learning environment and a dynamic community hub. The Facility Operations Manager is primarily responsible for the care and cleanliness of our active public facility and for ensuring that the needs of its user groups are met.

Samuel brings a diverse set of skills ranging from building management to culinary operations and banquet management. He led the daily management of a broad range of buildings including IBM Headquarters, Provincial Service sites, TD Centre, RBC Centre, Maple Leaf Square, ICE Condos, Simcoe Place, along with associated retail. Beyond building management, Samuel also served as the Culinary Operations Manager for three seasons at Rogers Centre/ Skydome and as a Banquet Manager for Marriott Hotels.

A long-time visitor to TBG, Samuel is an avid flower buyer and won an award for his condo balcony planting last year. He is also a Le Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef and a classically trained pianist.

Riverdale

Here We Come! Through the Garden Gate Tour 2023

BE SURE TO MARK your calendar for the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s Through the Garden Gate tour of beautiful private gardens will take place in the east-end Toronto neighbourhood of Riverdale that is known for its diverse community, abundant dining choices, quaint Victorian homes and some wonderful gardeners.

Riverdale Park is one of the largest green spaces in the city. It is also an area that features an abundance of parkland making it a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of big-city living.

You’ll visit more than 15 residential gardens, of varying sizes and themes where every garden offers a unique perspective. From a small jam-packed garden in the Bain Co-op area where the owner focuses on sustainability and attracting pollinators to much larger gardens with luscious spaces full of ideas to take home. There’s something to spark inspiration for every visitor. Discover each garden at your own pace with a map and a guide that describes the features of each garden.

A complimentary shuttle bus service allows you to “hop on and hop off” along the route, although it is very “walkable” for those who like to move on foot.

“Back by popular demand, there will be live music in two of the gardens. Knowledgeable Toronto Master Gardeners will be in each garden, ready to answer any of your plant or garden questions.”

Withrow Park is a central hub and meeting place and the site of a popular Saturday farmers market. Be sure to come early to visit the market on Saturday and make a day of it by lingering after the tour to shop or dine at one of the local restaurants in the Danforth Village.

Advance tickets are available online. https:// torontobotanicalgarden.ca/enjoy/special-events/ through-the-garden-gate/

– Veronica Sliva

THE TERM terrarium comes from the Latin word terra, meaning earth, and arium, meaning place. So, literally and quite fittingly translated as “earth place”. Also known as vivarium, Wardian case, or glass garden, terrariums are glass enclosures housing plants, terrestrial animals, or both. These miniature ecosystems have been around since the 1800s and have had a popular resurgence over the last few years.

But where did this idea come from? I am glad you asked! In 1842 an English Botanist named Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward discovered this concept accidentally when raising moth pupae in a glass case. He had built this little enclosed environment for the pupae containing ferns and moss. While analyzing the pupae, he noticed the plants were thriving in their new home. He then took this revelation, experimented further with it and published his findings in a scientific paper and a book. His observations revolutionized botany–and allowed scientists to understand and study plants and small land animals in tiny environments mirroring their own.