Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Whoever coined the phrase “the lazy days of summer” obviously didn’t work at a botanical garden! Although we have fewer visitors at this time of the year, cultivating a garden is a full-time job that just cannot be put off. Cutting grass, weeding, pest control, fertilizing and innumerable other tasks are just a part of the daily chores around here.

We’re also taking advantage of a prime planting season to expand some collections and demonstration grounds, such as our newly added pineapple patch. It’s a good thing we love gardening and are grateful for the opportunity we’ve been given to work with plants in such a beautiful environment here in western Mexico! But beyond gardening, much more goes on “behind the scenes” in running a public botanical garden.

For example, we continue to be of service to the community with our education initiatives, such as the Teachers’ Workshop we hosted on Thursday, July 21. Executive Director Neil Gerlowski presented local schoolteachers with a basic Tropical Forest Curriculum, then took the classroom outside as he led the teachers through some of our jungle trails. We will be excited to hear back from them about how they’re incorporating that information into their local classrooms and on student field trips to the Gardens.

Our hope is that through such educational initiatives and the field trip opportunities we donate to visiting school groups, a love of nature and a desire to protect the environment can be fostered in the younger generation. It is often said that progress “takes a generation,” which is why it’s more urgent than ever to explore the wonders of the natural world with youngsters TODAY. For other upcoming educational programs, consult our calendar of events in the August 2011 newsletter.

For your sustained support of Vallarta Botanical Gardens and its mission — especially in regard to education — I thank all of you.

Here at Vallarta Botanical Gardens, we are hard at work producing our first-ever botanically themed calendar for the coming year. Sponsors are now being sought to help us produce the calendar. If you or your company would like to sponsor a month on the new calendar for $3,800 pesos (about $320 USD), please contact T.J. Hartung: tjhartung(at)gmail.com.

Despite sensational news reports to the contrary, Puerto Vallarta, as well as most other places in Mexico, remains safe to visit. Remember, tourism is the lifeblood of Vallarta, and public gardens are powerful tourism generators that add to the health of our economy. For those of you in Vallarta, please come up to see us soon. For those of you in other places, please keep Mexico in your hearts.

From the Gardens,
Bob Price