Community

A Future of Possibilities

The joy and wonder cultivated by public gardens and the protection of biodiversity must include human connection and a sense of belonging.

The IDEA Center for Public Gardens™ (the Center) was launched January 2022 as a partnership between Denver Botanic Gardens (the Gardens) and the American Public Gardens Association, with support from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS MG-249862-OMS-21), to empower public gardens, partners and cultural institutions around the world to ensure the relevance of mission-driven work by prioritizing and championing diversity and inclusion initiatives.

The creation of the Center is timed at the right moment as we seek a way forward from the inequalities of our historical legacy, and when we need unity more than ever. Public gardens and cultural institutions have the opportunity to create possibilities of serving our communities in more exciting and meaningful ways than ever before. Together we can expand the identity of who we are and who we serve.

Our core belief is that living and working from the principles of IDEA can be an incredibly enriching and joyful journey, so creating the Center was a progressive step to empower other gardens to
become advocates for this work too.

We hope you join us in this journey towards creating a better, more just world that celebrates and values the ecology of human diversity as much as we celebrate it in nature.

There is much more to come. Onward together.