Why an (Arid Lands) Garden?

1. Why an (Arid Lands) Garden?

2. Gardeners Australia • 27 Million residents • 14 million households • 11.2 million gardeners

3. Garden Visiting in Australia Today Age of botanic gardens visitors, 15 years and over • Those who visit at least one botanic garden each year, according to their age • Source: The Council of Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens (CHABG) 1994

4. Table 8.8. Those over 15 who visit at least one botanic garden each year, according to their highest educational qualification: Source: The Council of Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens (CHABG) • The Australian Capital Territory resident (49.3%) and the Western Australia resident are the most likely to visit botanic gardens (47.9%). Even though they exhibit the lowest visitation percentages, Tasmania with 37% and NSW with 34% suggests the Australian resident in general has a high propensity to visit gardens.

5. World distribution of plant species and botanic gardens (WWF, HJCN - B(CS, 1987)

6. Social and Cultural

7. Environmental

10. Taxa = Group

11. Accessions= groups or distinct families (Palms)

12. Economic • Generally little Economic data owing to Free entry and little mileage in Economic Base studies.

14. # 16 Some New Findings (last month!) from Visit Britain • International Tourists (six million) • Demand/desire for Garden visiting by overseas visitors is # 3 in popularity only exceeded by “Going to the Pub” and “Shopping” • 31 % of all overseas visitors will see a garden • Desire to see garden exceeds desire to see museums, art galleries and even historic sites • Median age = 39 !!!!

15. Economic Impact • On March 23, 2014, Port Adelaide played The Adelaide Crows at the Adelaide Oval 50, 583 people attended. Six months earlier 18, 328 people visited Floriade in Canberra (Port Adelaide won 127-73). No one came the next day to the oval – 21,000 came to the Flower show and again for the next 27 days • Probably 110,000 room nights for those 29 days • Av spending at Floriade = $ 33.00 = $ 7.2 million • In Canberra. 442,243 attended and with 25% of visitors from interstate or overseas • Economic Impact was $ 27 million. • Morton Arboretum has a staff of 135 full time and 90 part time and 1000 seasonal • A Regional theme park in the US has 41 F/T and 1300 PT/Seasonal

17. Community

19. 1999 The Community Greening model Brooklyn Botanic Garden and New York Botanical Gardens

20. Mary Shallis’s East New York Garden

21. The block next door

22. Parking Strips Seattle Royal York Hotel Toronto