Desert Botanical Garden

Horticulture - propagating & maintaining a living plant collection of over 50,000 Desert plants with particular emphasis on those inhabiting the sonoran Desert, many of which are endangered species. This program also works to preserve Desert plant life outside of its collection by educating the public regarding the beauty, variety and fragility of Desert plant life by displaying and interpreting its collection for the public at its Garden in phoenix, az which in the current year attracted over 520,000 visitors from all over the world. Education - provides programming for children, adults, and educators that promote greater enjoyment, understanding and stewardship of the sonoran Desert. Children's programming at the Desert Botanical Garden promotes a scientifically and environmentally literate community through hands-on, nature-based learning, and Garden staff and resources. These place-based experiences inspire a connection to the unique wonders of the sonoran Desert, encourage conservation of the natural world, and ignite a life-long appreciation for the environment. Informal programs span the ages of infants to teenagers alongside their caregivers through inquiry-based investigations that incorporate art, science, music, and much more. In fy2023, cactus clubhouse opened in the fall friday-sunday, 9:00am-4:00pm. Starting in january and carrying through may 2023, the clubhouse was open wednesday-sunday. Through fy2023, the clubhouse welcomed 22,420 visitors, including over 9,100 children. Cactus clubhouse admission was included with Garden admission and membership. The children and family department ran additional programming for events, including dia de muertos and strange Garden in the fall, and luminaria programming in december. Through these additional on-site programs, that were also included in the cost of admission or membership, we saw an additional 20,792 visitors, including 3,900 children. Field trips remained cancelled through fy23, but over 1,900 children engaged in outreach school programming that was conducted at schools across phoenix metropolitan area. Summer camp came back online for the first time post-covid, with 62 children participating in camp sessions over 5 weeks in june and july. Also running throughout the summer was a weekly storytime activity with children and caregivers every saturday morning. Books and activities were centered around themes specific to the flora and fauna of the sonoran Desert, and engaged 373 children and caregivers over three months.