March 5, 2009
The board of Charlottesville Botanical Garden (CBG) met on Jan. 25. Among the highlights of the meeting was the election of officers. Robert Sacilotto was elected Chairman CEO. Lonnie Murray was elected Treasurer and Public Relations Specialist, Peggy Cornett was elected Secretary. A new board member, Laura Sollod, was elected, as well. Laura is a Certified Landscape Architect and founder of "Organics for All", a non-profit organization seeking to promote healthy produce, accessible to all Americans. Laura's talents are extensive. A bio page, with more information about our members, is being made.
The board also discussed common ground and cooperative possibilities with McIntire Botanical Garden, a non-profit organization seeking to establish a botanical garden in McIntire Park, a central location in Charlottesville, VA. In fact, our (CBG) original proposal was for a location in McIntire Park, so we shared a common goal. Our board is yet to meet with the McIntire board, something we all hope will strengthen our mutual efforts to create a botanical garden in the vicinity.
For those of you seeking contact information, we are finishing up the mailboxes. To avoid attracting spam "spiders", the e-mail addresses below are images-you must type them in; do not copy/paste. We'll add contacts for additional board members soon.
for Chairman Robert Sacilotto, please e-mail:
phone: (434)985-3060
for Public Relations/Outreach, and Treasurer, please e-mail:
phone: (540)456-6239
Cheers, Rob Sacilotto
Older news follows:
Some of you may have heard yours truly on the radio. WVTF reporter Sandy Haufman came by the Botanique nursery and gave a brief report on the preservation part of the project, the pitcher plants. This group of plants is a great way to draw attention and public interest. A National Geographic photographer and writer came out some years ago and the preservation project for pitcher plants appeared in the magazine (May,1992, p.73). Back then, the idea of combining the preservation project with a botanical garden was still in its infancy. The idea of a botanical garden in Charlottesville is an old one; it's even part of the master plan. We first started "pushing" for progress in 2005. Eventually, we hope to have the components and resources to catalyze construction.
First, it might be good to clarify that Charlottesville does not currently have a botanical garden. Our group is working to help change this. We are in the process of forming a nonprofit corporation to not only raise funds, but to help guide the process so that the garden is beautiful, amazing, educational, scientific, efficient, environmentally designed and sustainable. That’s a lot to ask! Fortunately, our group includes people who have spent many years creating and working in botanical gardens and institutions. We’ve learned how to make the process come together. A recently updated proposal is available for downloading on the home/index page. Since the original proposal (2005-2006) went out, there have been some developments and changes. The proposal describes what we're trying to achieve as well as what the garden could include.
Sadly, many botanical gardens are poorly designed and suffer in later years. In these tight economic times, it takes forward thinking people to anticipate possible problems and solve them. For example, a great number of botanical gardens have had disastrous freezes due to fuel shortages or the high cost of heating greenhouse(s). We’re pushing for modern, energy efficient designs with safeguards to protect plants and facilities. One possibility to circumvent or reduce fossil fuel use has been used for decades by commercial growers, who know how to cut costs. This system uses renewable wood, especially “scrap” wood, to fire a hot water heating system. The furnaces produce some of the best quality heat at minimal cost. Furthermore, unlike a wood stove, these furnaces get hot enough to destroy creosote and smoke. I recently visited a nursery in Scottsville, Virginia and saw one in action. Even though the system was cranking out enough heat for several greenhouses, there was no smoke coming out of the chimney! The owner told me it was one of his two smartest investments.
Another option is to use “night blankets”, where practical. These are insulating materials which are mechanically put in place after closing hours. Since night time is when most heat loss occurs, this can be a great way to save money and be more eco-friendly. Most botanical gardens have ancillary or “production” greenhouses which are not part of the big display area; they get the plants ready for the public, kind of like a dressing room. These structures can easily incorporate the above solutions.
During summer months, a different problem arises: heat gain from the sun. My own greenhouse uses nifty little automatic vent lifters that push open roof vents without electricity. These clever gadgets use a liquid which expands when it gets warm, causing a piston to raise the vents. Combined with a well-designed air flow, the operating cost per day is next to nothing and it’s quiet.
These are but some of the ideas we hope to contribute. For right now, we’re in the process of getting our organization set up as a future nonprofit (501c3) corporation. Virginia State corporation status has been achieved. We’re also networking and doing things like creating this web site to help people understand what we’re about. There will be updates soon, so please visit this site again. Contact information is being set up, so it will be included in the next update.
Sincerely, Rob Sacilotto
Charlottesville Botanical Garden
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