For Immediate Release
Santa Fe Botanical Garden Sharpens their Skills with the Sentinel Plant Network
February 20, 2018 – Santa Fe, New Mexico
We are pleased to announce that Santa Fe Botanical Garden continued its sixth year of active involvement in the Sentinel Plant Network, a partnership between the American Public Gardens Association and the National Plant Diagnostic Network that contributes to plant conservation by engaging public garden professionals, volunteers, and visitors in the early detection of serious plant pests and diseases. The Sentinel Plant Network was launched in 2011 with financial support from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service through the Farm Bill, Section 10007 and currently includes over 225 public gardens across North America.
Our garden was recently able to send Cristina Salvador (Collections Manager) and Mollie Parsons (Education Director) to participate in the Sentinel Plant Network training for the Southwest Region in Tucson, AZ. This event engaged more than 35 front line professionals from 20 public gardens, as well as diagnosticians from the region and representatives from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. At this workshop, Salvador and Parsons and the other participants learned about the economic and environmental impact of serious plant pests and diseases as well the threats in our region, host plants affected, common signs and symptoms and the best practices for monitoring and reporting. They also learned about the Network’s educational outreach materials and public-facing website, sentinelplantnetwork.org, as well as the American Public Gardens Association’s Plant Heroes® youth education program.
“Public gardens are strategically positioned to protect plants from serious plant pests and diseases by monitoring their collections and educating the public about the importance of early detection and rapid response,” said Tyler Hale, the Association’s Plant Protection Program Assistant and Coordinator for the Sentinel Plant Network.
To learn more about the threats to our local flora and how you can help protect the trees in our community by getting involved in early detection, come by the garden or contact Cristina Salvador ([email protected], 505.471.9103) about taking a class!
Here are a few comments from participants
“I just want to say ‘thank you’ for this workshop. It helped us get motivated to do something we should have been doing all along: scouting for pests and pathogens and educating the public and staff.” – Sentinel Plant Network workshop attendee
“What an informative and well executed workshop! I learned so much and met many great people. I now feel inspired to be as involved as I can—and to help others become involved—so that we can combat the pests and diseases threatening our natural areas.”
– Sentinel Plant Network workshop attendee
Download a PDF of the press release >
Santa Fe Botanical Garden media contact:
Sarah Spearman
Director of Public Affairs
[email protected]
(505) 471.9103
715 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505
Media contact for the Sentinel Plant Network:
Tyler Hale
Coordinator – Plant Protection Program
American Public Gardens Association
[email protected]
