Share a Horticulture Enthusiast's Experience of China
Experience China’s biodiversity through the eyes of an avid horticulturist. Elizabeth Haegele, Curatorial Intern at the Scott Arboretum, blogs her sponsored trip from April 10 to 29 to China exploring issues of plant conservation and sustainability. Follow Elizabeth’s trip on http://lizstriptochina.blogspot.com/, where she will describe her experiences and post breathtaking photos from China including: the Beijing Botanical Gardens and images of the richest area of Eurasia for plant biodiversity, Zhogdian (Shangri-La.)
Travel with Elizabeth as she interacts with international experts and personalities in plant conservation at the 3 rd Global Botanic Gardens Congress in Wuhan, China. Share her experiences of Beijing attractions like the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Yonghe Palace, and Beijing Botanical Garden, which has a tradition of native flora conservation. See images and learn about the flora from her perspective as a horticulture enthusiast at locations like Kunming Botanical Garden, Stone Forest, Lijiang Alpine Botanical Garden, and Zhongdian (Shangri-La with 210 families, 1200 genera, and over 6000 plant species.)
As the curatorial intern at the Scott Arboretum, Elizabeth Haegele received a $5,000 international travel scholarship. The curatorial internship also offers work experience in a campus arboretum to an individual interested in a career in public horticulture. In addition to on-the-job training, the intern has opportunities to meet other professionals in the area and to attend educational events at other institutions.
Before interning with the Scott Arboretum, Elizabeth pursued a career in business administration and discovered she “wanted something more fulfilling.” She realized from her work with a local community garden that public horticulture would provide what she was looking for. She has interned with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and worked at Longwood Gardens in the Indoor and Outdoor Display Division. Her horticulture education also includes classes taken at Temple University’s Ambler campus.
The Global Botanic Gardens Congress (GBGC) is held every three years and is recognized as the primary international event for botanic gardens worldwide. The Congress is organized by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) in collaboration with an in-country host institution. A primary concern of BGCI has been to provide a means for botanic gardens in all parts of the globe to share information and news about their activities, programs and advances that benefit plant conservation and environmental education.