Greetings from CEO and President Carrie Rebora Barratt

Dear Friends:

Amazing things are happening at the Garden this summer. As I begin my role as Chief Executive Officer and President of this beautiful urban oasis, I am inspired by the profound ways NYBG touches and influences the lives of so many people. And that is core: Plants are critical to human life.

We will have many opportunities this year to meet at events and programs throughout the Garden, hopefully starting this summer as our season of offerings is astounding. Let me share several recent experiences that reveal and underscore for me the breadth, depth, and relevance of NYBG’s collections and interaction with visitors:

Summer kicked off with the rare blooming of a corpse flower from the Garden’s permanent collection, the strong odor and exotic beauty of which attracted more than 13,000 visitors during its brief display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory! If you didn’t get a chance to see it, here is the time-lapse view of its fascinating bloom cycle.

On Wellness Wednesdays throughout the summer, our visitors are forest bathing, meditating, deep breathing, practicing yoga and tai chi, walking our more than six miles of garden and woodland paths, and enjoying local fruits and vegetables and juices at our Farmers Market and cooking demonstrations. The Garden itself encourages us all to make healthy choices for our minds and bodies.

The Summer Camps program is in full swing, teaching science to city kids, who are planting and harvesting vegetables, learning about marshes, and making crafts from plant-based dyes and seeds. The new Edible Academy is the site for plant-based learning and if you haven’t visited yet, please plan to join us for Totally Tomatoes Weekend on August 11–12. I’ll be there and hope to meet you. You won’t want to miss the spectacular bird’s-eye view of the Bronx River and waterfall from the Gossett Overlook Pavilion (look closely and you will see our new beehives).

As always, the Garden rewards close looking and peaceful walking. I highly recommend the Native Plant Garden and Marjorie G. Rosen Seasonal Walk for sightings of birds and insects, while a serene walk in the Thain Family Forest will reveal many species of wildlife.

NYBG’s commitment to training the next generation of Earth’s caretakers is front and center during the summer, with our Summer Science Internship program, annually providing dozens of high school and college students the opportunity to work closely with our faculty of world-class botanists. These students contribute to cutting-edge NYBG research and gain incomparable experience that prepares them for careers in science and education. Their original work is showcased during presentations at the Cullman Intern Luncheon, hosted by NYBG Life Trustee Lewis B. Cullman.

The Garden offers much more than this on a daily basis. As a New York City resident since 1984, I have made it my passion and my business to support and study nature, culture, and education in this great city; the three are inextricably linked at NYBG. Thank you in advance for your continued commitment to and support of this extraordinary institution that I am honored to be a part of going forward.

In the meantime, please come to enjoy all that NYBG has to offer this summer by visiting often. Don’t miss our landmark Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawai‘i exhibition and join us during one of the lively Aloha Nights (July 21, August 4 & 18) or the final Summer Concert Series performance, Old, New & Blue: A Celebration of Gershwin’s Rhapsody (July 27). I hope to see you here! 

Sincerely yours,



Carrie Rebora Barratt, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
William C. Steere Sr. President