Buffalo News Editorial -
Monday May 23,
2011
Buffalo
News Editorial
The progress made
at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens is nothing short of amazing,
and it’s thanks to the resolve of volunteers and staff working in extremely
difficult circumstances to restore a deteriorating asset.
The result is
that paid attendance is up 88 percent and the number of active volunteers has
more than tripled. Also, as reported, revenue from private events, including
weddings, has increased fivefold. Moreover, the nonprofit Buffalo&Erie
County Botanical Gardens Society expects to balance the budget this year without
county funding, a first.
It is, in no short measure, a tribute to the 27
volunteer board members, including board President Mary Ann Kresse. She has
served since 2002, when then-County Executive Joel Giambra asked her to chair a
task force to improve the facility.
The task force looked into how to
wean the gardens from Erie County funding into an independent entity and
developed a strategic plan. It all got accomplished by August 2004 and the
Buffalo&Erie County Botanical Gardens Society has since been running the
operation for the county.
The steps toward independence were nudged along
by the fact that in 2010, County Executive Chris Collins refused to authorize
the $322,000 the County Legislature voted the facility. That forced the society
to dip into reserve funds earmarked for future projects and completion of the
master plan.
After ending 2010 in the red, the society stepped up efforts
to generate revenue. There are sources of funding available to the non-profit
society that the county could never have tapped, including private foundations
and individuals who wouldn’t give to a county operation. Memberships have jumped
along with the increase in paid ad-missions. And the facility is just better
looking and better cared for now, because the society is able to hire its own
staff of skilled gardeners and horticulturists. That’s something the county
couldn’t do.
The facility in Olmsted’s South Park features three glass
houses by premier conservatory designers Lord & Burnham and opened just
before the 1901 Pan-American Exhibition.
The society’s board of directors
and volunteers have devoted themselves to re-energizing the Botanical Gardens.
The education program is well-developed, with a director of education, and a
marketing and development director and a new president and chief executive
officer, David J. Swarts.
The society is now pursuing accreditation from
the American Association of Museums, and updating its master plan. Plans call
for eventually expanding greenhouse capacity, restoring two original domes and
adding a classroom wing, library and events center. Praise is due to all
involved in the rebirth of a landmark.
Praiseworthy Effort
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