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_{Photo courtesy of Smith Gilbert Gardens}

Growing Stronger Connections

Community engagement is key to a nonprofit’s success; for Smith-Gilbert Gardens, being involved in the community means more than bringing visitors through the gates. The gardens provide opportunities to volunteer, learn about nature, experience art, and become involved in something that benefits the community. After reviewing the organization’s programs and visiting the gardens in person, we see opportunities to expand and make the gardens more welcoming and accessible to interested people.

Community Behind the Gardens

Smith-Gilbert Gardens reports having 250 volunteers who contribute more than 3,500 hours each year. Opportunities for volunteers include gardening, maintaining plant collections, leading tours, assisting with school field trips, and special events such as the upcoming Art Blooms exhibition returning in 2027. For a nonprofit, having that kind of community support is valuable because it builds relationships while helping the organization accomplish its goals.

However, during our visit, we noticed that some of the sculptures appeared to have overgrown vegetation surrounding them. We didn’t see half of the sculptures that are shown on their website. We also came across a public Yelp review that mentioned concerns about overgrowth and poison ivy while acknowledging that volunteers help with weeding.

_{Photo courtesy of Smith Gilbert Gardens}

Gilbert Gardens has several programs and activities, but there are probably people in the community who don’t know much about what is offered. When people think of botanical gardens, they may picture a place to walk around and look at plants. Many don’t realize that there are other activities and events that families can enjoy, such as the seasonal events the gardens offer. However, it is important to recognize that admission prices, transportation, and accessibility can make visiting more difficult for some people.

One way to reach more people would be to get local schools, libraries, and community organizations involved, more involved than the simple tours that already take place. These are places where people already go for information, so they could help share upcoming events and activities through bulletins or announcements.

We think Gilbert Gardens has an opportunity to connect with more people in the surrounding community. It doesn’t necessarily mean making major changes. Promotion of activities, and more flexible volunteer opportunities could make a difference. The goal should be to help people see that the gardens have something to offer, even if gardening isn’t something they are particularly interested in.

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Creating More Opportunities Through Education

_{Photo courtesy of Smith Gilbert Gardens}

Education is another area we think Smith-Gilbert Gardens could expand on. They already have field trips and activities for students that give kids a chance to learn about plants and the environment without being stuck inside a classroom. We think there is value in that, especially when students get to actually participate and interact with the environment instead of just listening to someone explain things.

Something else we thought about was getting younger students involved throughout the year. Right now, field trips give schools a way to visit, but there could be more reasons for them to come back. Schools could take part in planting projects, learn how to care for different plants, or participate in the seasonal activities the gardens offer.

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