Support the Garden during this Holiday Season

Support the Garden during this Holiday Season  

This is a season of giving. As you give to those you care about, you can support the Garden too. Here are a few ways that you can give to the State Botanical Garden while you give to others: 

Ornaments currently available in the Garden Gift Shop.

- Shop at the Garden Gift Shop. It is filled with holiday décor, jewelry, books, educational toys, stationery, locally made handcrafts, and so much more! Not only that, but you will be gifting yourself a relaxing shopping experience, with free parking, friendly volunteers to assist, and unique gift items.

- Give a membership to Friends of the Garden, which includes a quarterly newsletter, discounts on classes and gift shop purchases, and free or reduced admission to other gardens throughout the country.

Orchid Madness 2015

- Encourage a friend to grow by gifting a class. Or help someone choose a gift for you by asking for a class you want to take. For ideas look at Beekeeping for Beginners, which starts December 13, the Native Plant Symposium on January 20, this cookingclass, or this drawing class series. What about combining a blooming orchid with an All Access Pass to Orchid Madness for a special gift?

- We are on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) and if you are too – and choose the Friends of the State Botanical Garden as your charity – then 0.5% of your purchases will support the Garden. Imagine what a difference that could make if dozens of us signed up!

Nov 10 - The Garden at Night: Moths, Pollination Services, and Climate Change

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 pm, James W. Porter, Josiah Meigs Professor of Ecology at the University of Georgia, will present the annual Johnstone Lecture at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia (2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens.) Porter, known for his award winning photography as well as his knowledge of butterflies and moths, climate change, coral reefs, and ecology, will delight eyes and curious minds with “The Garden at Night: Moths, Pollination Services, and Climate Change”. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with Porter during a reception following the talk. 

Wing of the IO moth by James Porter

Dr. Porter has received the UGA Creative Research Award, the University's Meigs Teaching Award, and the prestigious Eugene P. Odum Award for environmental education. He is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Naturalists, and the Great Barrier Reef Committee.  In 2006, he was elected President of Sigma Xi, a scientific honor society with more than 160,000 members worldwide, including all living Nobel Laureates.

  

Dr. Porter's award winning photographs have appeared in Life Magazine and the New York Times.  His work has been featured on ABC World News, NBC Nightly News, CNN News, and the CBS Evening News. 

Although Dr. Porter is now a marine ecologist, his undergraduate work was in the area of entomology.  He returned to the study of butterflies and moths while teaching ecology at UGA’s field station in Costa Rica.  He continued these studies upon his return to Athens, and is currently writing a book about the butterflies of Costa Rica.

Luna Moth by Chuck Murphy

Both the Johnstone Lecture and reception are free, but reservations are required. Reservations may be made at botgarden.uga.edu, by calling 706-542-6138, or emailing garden@uga.edu. The Johnstone Lecture, sponsored by FRIENDS of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, was named in honor of the State Botanical Garden’s first director, Dr. Francis E. Johnstone, Jr. 

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a unit of Public Service & Outreach at the University of Georgia.

With Google Maps, you have an interactive Garden trail map in your hand.

Tommy Jordon of the University of Georgia's Center for Geospatial Research brought a drone back to the botanical garden this morning, and took some amazing photos and videos, like this one:

Genevieve Holdridge came with him to tell us that her Geography 1111 class has not only been accurately mapping the trails in the Garden, but adding their information to Google Maps. This is exciting, because with the Google Maps app on your phone, you can not only see a complete, labeled trail map, but locate where you are on our trail system. I am downloading that app today!
Here is a screenshot from Google Maps: