New facility to serve as international center for plant conservation research

With a bold goal to “Save the Plants, Save the Planet,” the Chicago Botanic Garden has scheduled the opening of the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center for Sept. 21, 2009.  The 38,000 square-foot building will serve as a laboratory and state-of-the-art research facility for the Garden¹s staff of 31 full-time scientists and research assistants. Interns, graduate students, research associates and collaborators, nearly 200 plant conservation science staff, conduct research and provide leadership on conservation and environmental issues including climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species and pollution.

“Tens of thousands of plant species are in danger of extinction. We rely on plants for everything that sustains life. The Garden’s commitment to addressing plant conservation challenges through research and education is embodied with the opening of the Plant Science Center,” said Sophia Siskel, President and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The Plant Science Center will feature dedicated teaching facilities and house a first-ever doctoral program in plant biology and conservation, offered in partnership with Northwestern University. The first Ph.D students have been accepted and will begin in fall 2009.

The building is situated on 4.5-foot pillars and is surrounded by and built over a rainwater glen, a bioswale that will collect and filter runoff from the building and adjacent parking areas and surrounds the new center at below-grade level. A 16,000 square-foot green roof evaluation garden tops off the building.

Inside, interactive exhibits for all ages explain the essential role plants play in every day life and the critical role garden scientists are playing to preserve and better manage natural plant communities. A viewing gallery is designed to provide Garden visitors with an insider’s view of the work of garden scientists. The building is designed to earn a gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Green Roof Gardens

The 16,000 square-foot green roof garden will be accessible to the public via a grand staircase and features an overlook with interpretive panels educating visitors about all aspects of rooftop gardens. The south side of the roof garden will feature regional and national native plants, many of which are not currently used as roof top plants; the north side will feature a mixture of natives and exotics and demonstrates plants that are currently widely used as roof top plants.

Garden beds will cover 50 percent of the roof area, reducing the heat-island effect and helping to manage storm water.  An array of solar panels that will supply some of the power for the building will be visible from the green roof garden.  All of the plants will be evaluated for rooftop gardening by the Garden¹s Plant Evaluation program. It will be open to the public during the Garden’s operating hours.

Rainwater Glen

A rainwater glen garden surrounds the building and will collect rain water draining from nearby parking areas and filter it within the Garden¹s plant community. Water-absorbing native plants that are adaptable to damp conditions but able to tolerate dry soil and periods of drought will be featured.

The Viewing Gallery

The center of the building is designed as a grand gallery, with interior windows on either side, allowing visitors to see what Garden scientists are currently researching. In the past year, Garden scientists have trained and placed more than 100 interns with federal land management agencies, authored 22 research papers published in national and international journals, wrote 32 technical reports for state and national agencies and made 80 presentations at national and international conferences.

Interactive Exhibits

Designed to engage and educate, interactive exhibit stations will line the viewing gallery, inform visitors of the many shapes, sizes and colors of plants, the role they play in every phase of every day life, important environmental issues facing society today and ways in which visitors can get involved. Many of the exhibits will also explain the critical work scientists are carrying out in the adjacent research laboratories that are visible from gallery. For instance, in front of the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank Preparation Laboratory, the exhibit will explain how and why seeds are banked and what role they will play in restoration and preservation of native prairie¹s in the midwest.

Towards a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) Rating from the U. S. Green Building Council

Green features of the Plant Science Center underscore the Chicago Botanic Garden¹s commitment to the environment.

Features include:

• Twenty percent recycled materials were used in the construction of the building, including trees that were removed from the site and are now seen in the building as planters and library shelving.
• Careful attention was paid to the selection of energy-efficient lighting, mechanical equipment, insulation of exterior walls and roof, windows with Low-E and high-performance glass and air lock vestibules at all entrances.
• Natural daylight underscores harmony between human activity within the building and the natural world outside.

Why Save Plants

According to the World Conservation Union, 30 percent of the world¹s plants will be threatened with extinction by 2050. Since plants provide all the necessities of life: oxygen, food, shelter, clothing, and medicine, the continued loss of plant life poses enormous threats to the health and well-being of humans.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year, except Dec. 25. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members.

The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit chicagobotanic.org, or call 847-835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

About the Chicago Botanic Garden

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society.

It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr.

School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers.

The Garden’s Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. A program of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest is an organic vegetable and plant production enterprise that provides instruction in sustainable horticulture and urban agriculture to residents of Chicago’s North Lawndale and West Side neighborhoods. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). The Chicago Botanic Garden is also host to Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., and a member of the Center for Plant Conservation. In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Gloria Ciaccio, 847-835-6819
gciaccio@chicagobotanic.org