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Charles E. Carberry
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Happy 2003! It has been an amazing first 8 months as Executive Director and the Botanical Gardens project is progressing at a rapid pace. I am pleased to announce that we have now entered the most intensive and important phase of our Botanical Gardens development. Recently, we received 40% completion drawings from our architectural firm, NBBJ, which means that within the next two months, our design drawings will be complete! This April, construction will begin and will span a twelve-month period. (Stay tuned for our groundbreaking celebration plans). This is an aggressive schedule, but our team feels that it is feasible. Steel structures should be erected by October! Our administrative departments are also developing at an amazing rate. Shareen Zaki, Director of Education, and Michael Chille, Director of the School of Professional Horticulture, are doing a great job getting ready for the spring and planning for the future. We have six interns working with us though the summer, which will add enthusiasm and energy. Bob Chabot, Director of Horticulture, is currently in Papua New Guinea studying plant habitat. Bob will study in the heart of the rainforest for the entire month of January and will return to the Botanical Gardens with information that will certainly prove valuable to the design of our large conservatory. We are doing our homework! Mary Ellen Flanagan, our award-winning Design Director, has done a fantastic job with the garden design master plan. The current plans include a garden amphitheater, bridal court, the peninsula garden, entry garden, great lawn and other wonderful gardens that are sure to create wonderful and memorable experiences for all who visit. My staff and I realize what an amazing opportunity it is to serve the public in this manner and we will work tirelessly to develop and maintain a top-notch botanical garden. I encourage each of you to visit the Botanical Gardens or to visit us online at rwpbotanicalgardens.org. I am confident that you will be impressed with the changes that we have made over the course of the year. Thank you for your continued support. Charles E. Carberry
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