The Green Legacy travelling exhibit in Canada

2. The Green Legacy travelling exhibit in Canada Barbara McKean and Laurel McIvor Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton, Canada

3. Today’s presentation: • Goals • Virtual Tour of exhibit • Successful partnerships • Key elements to funding • Exhibit development • Travelling logistics • Lessons learned

4. Primary goals of exhibit: • Promote the importance of native plants and associated research • Engage Canadians across the country • Encourage partnerships between botanical gardens, museums and community organisations

5. Multi-functional Approach • Exhibit will travel for 4 years and then become a part of a permanent exhibit at new educational centre Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton (anticipated opening in 2006)

6. A virtual tour….

7. Series of modular exhibits:

8. Home and Native Landscape • Plants as symbols of national identity- flags, coins, stamps • Native Canadian Maple Trees

9. Native Plants Create a Sense of Place • Map of Canadian ecoregions and typical vegetation • Provincial floral emblems • Interactive puzzle

10. Native Plants Attract Native Animals • Interrelations of plants and animals • Plant communities as habitats

11. Native Plants at Risk • Species at Risk: status and recovery planning • Invasive Species - threats and management • “Green Gardening” techniques for naturalised, wildlife and organic gardens

12. Economic Importance of Plants • Yearly economic value of Canadian plants • Monetary value of wild plants • Wood variety, products and uses • Commercial medicines and products from Canadian plants

13. Basic Botany & Botanical Trivia • Parts of a plant • Pollination • Adaptation • Seeds & dispersal • Wall of Fame

14. Botanical Pursuits • Canadians working for plants • Plant research • Botanist of the Future • Careers in Botany

15. Local Connections • Examples of Native Plants • Plant and seed sources/ suppliers • related organisations

16. Partners • Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton: Education and Science Departments • Canadian Museum of Nature: Botany, Education and Exhibit Design Departments • Canadian Botanical Conservation Network • Design & Content Contractors

17. Elements of Successful Partnership • RBG: Access to grant money, botanical and interpretation expertise • CMN: Access to exhibit design expertise & experience with travelling exhibits • CBCN: Regional contribution and reviews • Contractors: exhibit develop expertise and dedicated time available

18. Key Elements of Financing: • Good track record with funding organisation • Project divided into 3 phases (years) : design and content, construction, travelling component infrastructure • Logical for same funding organisation to continue project for all three phases, but saleable to others as well • Knowledgeable and efficient contractor

19. Exhibit Development • Several planning sessions • Broad expertise from partners • Contractor drafted the text • Complementary community workshops organised by host • Programming component is linked to school curriculum • Text is bilingual, space is limited • More detailed information on web site

20. Travelling Logistics • Site inspections to consider variety of space available • Considered insurance and travelling logistics • Exhibit is ideal for 1500 ft² - flexible to room shape (only one wall component) • Specially designed to be self-crating

21. Elements of Success • “Very few exhibits about plants: great to have one available” • Interactive components are very popular • Travelling logistics are working well • Exhibit is creating a demand for local native plant gardening expertise and related contacts

22. Lessons Learned • Expensive to ship (heavy) • Too large for most botanical gardens • Complementary workshops aren’t happening very often - need for follow-up • Value of web site is questionable, don’t have a dedicated web editor

23. For more information visit our web site:www.rbg.ca/greenlegacyThank you!