Original subtitles

♪

>> IT IS A GARDEN UNLIKE ANY

OTHER.

>> THE GARDEN HERE IS REALLY A

MUSEUM OF PLANTS

>> A

COLORFUL KALEIDOSCOPE OF A

MILLION

FLOWERS AND FERNS AN

FOREST

>> IT IS A CHARM

>> GO BEHIND THE SCENES FOR

RARE LOOK INSIDE A BOTANICAL

ARCHIVE THAT IS PRESERVING THE

LEGACY OF HISTORY'

GREATEST

ECOLOGICAL EXPLORERS

>> THIS WAS A SPECIMEN

COLLECTED BY CHARLES

DARWIN

>> IT'S UNLOCKING THE SECRET

OF THE PLANT KINGDOM

>> HOW IS IT THAT WE HAVE MAYB

400,000 SPECIES OF PLANTS?

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

WHY DID IT HAPPEN?

WHERE DID IT HAPPEN?

>> A PLACE WHERE VISITORS OF

THE NEXT GENERATION GET CLOSER

TO NATURE.

>> SEEING IT THROUGH CHILDREN'

EYES SOMETIMES MAKES YOU

REALIZE THAT IT'S VERY, VERY

SIMPLE AND VERY IMPORTANT.

>> ALL COME TOGETHER AT ONE OF

THE CITY'S MOST DYNAMI

CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS.

>> WE HAVE MANY, MANY LAYERS T

WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH

WE ARE NOT JUST A BEAUTIFU

PLACE.

>> TREASURES OF NEW YORK, TH

NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

TAKES YOU ON AN EXCLUSIV

TOUR WHERE YOU WIL

BE AMASED AT WHAT LIES BENEATH

THIS HISTORIC LANDSCAPE.

>>THIS PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBL

LEWIS B. AND LOUISE

HIRSCHFELD CULLMANAN

ROSALIND P. WALTER

AND NOW, FROM THE NEW YORK

BOTANICAL GARDEN, HERE'S

SIGOURNEY WEAVER

>> STANDING HERE SURROUNDED BY

A LUSH, GREEN RAIN FOREST IS

HARD TO BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY I

THE BRONX.

AND YET, UNDERNEATH THIS

CRYSTALLINE CLASS HOUSE AND TH

THROUGHOUT THE NEW YOR

BOTANICAL GARDENS, IT'S HARD T

FEEL COMPLETELY TRANSPORTE

FROM THE BUSTLING CITY NEW YOR

STREETS INTO A WORLD OF PLANTS

ALIVE WITH WONDER.

>> FROM WINTER..

TO SPRING...

SUMMER..

AND FALL

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHIN

GLORIOUS AND NEW TO EXPERIENCE

AT THE NEW YORK BOTANICA

GARDEN

IT'S A DESTINATION THA

DELIGHTS

THE SENSES AND OPENS

UP A WORLD O

IMAGINATION.

SPANNING OVER 250 ACRES, THE

GARDEN IS AN OASIS, AS WELL AS

ONE OF THE GREAT CULTURA

INSTITUTIONS OF NEW YORK CITY.

AND A NATIONAL HISTORI

LANDMARK

FO

OVER 120 YEARS, IT HAS BEE

A HAVEN FOR CITY DWELLER

LOOKING TO ESCAPE URBAN LIFE

AND FINDING REFUGE INTO TH

TRANQUILITY OF NATURE.

>> I THINK ALMOST EVERYONE

LOVES NATURE

PEOPLE COME TO THE GARDEN TO

LOOK FOR PEACE, FOR A PLACE OF

NO STRESS.

>> THIS IS NOT MERELY A PUBLIC

PARK

FOR HERE, YOU WILL FIND ONE OF

THE LARGEST AND MOST STUNNIN

COLLECTIONS OF PLANTS IN THE

WORLD.

WITH SPECIALIZED

GARDENS,

SWEEPING LAND SCAPES, AND AN

ANCIENT FOREST

IT IS ALSO A SCIENTIFI

INSTITUTION AT THE FOREFRONT O

BOTANICAL STUDY.

>> WE ARE ONE OF THE WORLD'S

CENTERS FOR BOTANICAL RESEARCH

AND OUR SCIENTISTS ARE NAMIN

60 TO 80 NEW SPECIES A YEAR.

>> AND ACROSS ALL AGES, TH

GARDEN HAS SERVED AS AN OPEN

AIR CLASSROOM,

ELICITIN

MOMENTS OF

WONDER AND

DISCOVERY.

>> THEY UNDERSTAND HOW

LETTUC

AND TOMATOES AND PEPPERS GROW.

IT'S INCREDIBLE TO UNDERSTAN

WHAT YOUR NATURAL WORLD GIVE

YOU.

>> EDUCATING AND INSPIRING THE

PUBLIC ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD

HAS BEEN THE GARDEN'S MISSIO

SINCE ITS FOUNDING

>> YOU HAVE THE PUBLIC

FUNCTION, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE

BEAUTIFUL PLACE FOR PEOPLE T

COME AN ENJOY THEMSELVES AND

LEARN ABOUT PLANTS BUT ALSO WE

ARE A BIG MAJOR PLANT RESEARCH

AN

CONSERVATION INSTITUTION

>> GREGORY LONG OVERSEES THE

ENTIRE BOTANICAL

GARDEN

GUIDING IT THROUGH THE 21st

21st CENTURY WHILE PRESERVIN

ITS LEGACY

IT WAS THE LATE 1800s AND NE

YORK CITY WAS A BOOMIN

INDUSTRIOUS PLACE, WHERE

LEGENDARY TYCOONS WERE ERECTIN

SHRINES OF CULTURE TO RIVA

THOSE IN EUROPE.

>> THEY KNEW WHAT EUROPE WAS

LIKE IN TERMS OF A

EDUCATION.

THEY STARTED

INSTITUTIONS

>> NATHANIEL LORD BRITON AND

HIS WIFE BOTH BOTANIST

TRAVELED TO ENGLAND TO VISIT

THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS AT

KEW.

>> AND THEY WERE SWEPT AWAY BY

IT

THEY WERE SWEPT AWAY BY TH

BEAUTY OF THE ROYAL BOTANI

GARDENS AT KEW

>> WHEN THE COUPLE RETURNED,

THEY DETERMINED THAT NEW YOR

CITY SHOULD HAVE A GREAT

BOTANICAL GARDEN OF ITS OWN.

THEY SPENT YEARS FUND-RAISIN

TO ESTABLISH THE GARDEN.

FINALLY, IN THE SPRING OF 1891

THE STATE OF NEW YOR

INCORPORATED THE NEW YOR

BOTANICAL GARDEN

THE FOUNDING BOARD INCLUDE

LIKES OF J.P. MORGAN, ANDREW

CARNEGIE AND CORNELIUS

VANDERBILT

NATHANIEL LORD BRITON LEAD THE

THEM AS THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR.

>> THEY LOVED PLANTS

THEY THOUGHT PEOPLE SHOULD ALL

LOVE PLANTS AS MUCH AS THE

DID.

THEY THOUGHT NEW YORK CITY

SCHOOL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

SHOULD BE LEARNING ABOUT

PLANTS

>> THE FIRST TASK WAS TO FIN

THE PERFECT SITE

THE SEARCH BROUGHT THE FOUNDER

TO THE NORTHER

PORTION OF

BRONX PARK AND ACCORDING TO TH

GARDEN'S CHIEF

HORTICULTURALIST, IT WAS THI

ANCIENT FOREST WHICH CAUGH

THEIR ATTENTION.

>> THEY WOULD WALK THROUGH THE

FOREST AND THEY WOULD SE

NATIVE WILDFLOWERS AND SEE

HUGE, OLD OAKS

AN

HEMLOCKS AND

TULIP TREES AND SWEET GUMS AND

THEY WERE LIKE KIDS ANY AN

CANDY STORE.

>> IT WAS BISECTED BY THE BRON

RIVER AND SURROUNDED BY FERTIL

FIELDS AND ORCHARDS.

FOR THESE NATURALISTS, IT WA

PARADISE

>> THEY HAD A SLICE OF NATUR

IN NEW YORK CITY THAT WOUL

SERVE AS THE PERFECT FOUNDATIO

FOR THE CREATION OF INSTITUTIO

DEVOTED TO DOCUMENTING

PRESERVING, AND CELEBRATING TH

BEAUTY OF PLANTS AND NATURE.

>> THEY PICKED THIS VERY

BEAUTIFUL,

COMPLICATE

PICTURESQUE SITE, WHICH IS

VERY, VERY INCREDIBLY LABO

INTENSIVE.

IT'S IMPERIAL IN

SCALE.

>> BRITON AND THE FOUNDERS SET

ABOUT DESIGNING A PLAN T

DISPLAY THE WORLD'S PLANTS

THE INITIAL LAYOUT OF TH

GROUNDS WAS DROWN BY CALVERT

VOX, THE CO-DESIGNER OF CENTRA

PARK

THE FOUNDERS

EXPANDED HIS PLA

TO INCLUDE DETAILE

GARDENS.

>> NOT JUST THE NATIVE PLANT

BU

PLANTS FROM JAPAN AN

EUROPE AND AFRICA AND TO DO SO

THEY HAD SYSTEMIC COLLECTION

AND PLANTED ACROSS THE

LANDSCAPE SURROUNDING TH

FOREST

>> AND THEY PLANNED FOR TWO NE

BUILDINGS, A MUSEUM AND

CONSERVATORY, EACH

SERVIN

DISTINCT ROLES IN THE GARDEN'S

CULTURAL IDENTITY.

>> ONE REPRESENTED THE ACADEMI

AND THE RESEARCH FUNCTION OF

THE GARDEN AND THE OTHER

REPRESENTED THE PUBLIC

ASPECT

OF THE WORK OF THE INSTITUTION

>> FIRST TO GO UP WAS TH

MUSEUM BUILDING, A NEO

RENAISSANCE STRUCTURE TO HOUSE

THE GARDEN'S LABORATORIES, A

WELL AS IT

COLLECTIONS OF

BOOKS AND TRIE

PLANTS

24 TULIP TREES WERE PLANTE

ALONG THE MUSEUM'S ENTRANC

WAY, WHICH HAVE GROWN INTO

SIGNATURES OF THE GARDEN

TODAY, IT IS KNOWN AS TH

LIBRARY BUILDING, AND CONTAINS

OVER 1 MILLION BOTANICAL

ARTIFACTS AND BOOKS.

>> WE LIKE TO CALL OURSELVES

THE LARGEST BOTANICAL AN

HORTICULTURAL LIBRARY IN THE

WORLD UNDER ONE ROOF

>> NEXT CAME THE GLASS

CONSERVATORY, DESIGNED BY LORD

AND BURNHAM, AMERICA'S LEADING

GLASS HOUSE DESIGN FIRM AT THE

TIME

ITS CAST IRON AND STEEL FRAM

HOLDS 17,000 CUSTOM MADE PAN E

OF GLASS, EACH ONLY ABOUT AN

EIGHTH OF AN INCH THINK.

- THICK.

COMPLETED IN 1902, THI

TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED CLASS

HOUSE ENABLED HORTICULTURALIST

TO GROW AND OBSERVE EXOTIC

SPECIES IN THEIR NATURAL

HABITATS

>> YOU COULDN'T TRAVEL TO SOUT

AFRICA AS EASILY AS YOU CAN DO

TODAY.

IF YOU WERE STUDY A PLAN

MATERIAL, YOU NEEDED TO A PLAC

TO BRING IT AND SHOW IT, BUT

YOU CAN SHOWCASE THE PLANTS SO

THE PUBLIC CAN COME AND LEAR

ALL ABOUT THEM

>> TODAY, THE CRYSTAL PALACE

ENCOMPASSES AN ENTIRE ACRE

UNDER GLASS, WITH 11 GALLERIES

REPRESENTING FIVE DISTINCT

CLIMAT

ZONES.

>> THE CONSERVATORY'S BABY

>> FRANCISCO

QUELLO IS THE CARE

TAKER FOR THE MAJESTIC

CONSERVATORY

>> I HAV

PLANTS THAT I GREW

FROM SEED AND SEE THEM T

MATURITY

>> SHE WELCOMES VISITORS T

COME SEE THE WORLD FROM ARID

DESERTS TO TROPICAL RAIN

FORESTS.

>> OH, THIS IS A LITTL

TALLANGIA, THE

FLOWER IS ALMOST

FINISHED, BUT IT'S REALLY,

REALLY PRETTY.

A BLUE FLOWER.

CAN YOU IMAGINE COLLECTING I

PLANT AND SEE IT BLOOM THE

FIRST TIME, HOW FASCINATIN

THAT MUST BE FOR SOMEBODY.

>> THIS IS A BRAZILLION PALM

WITH THESE LONG, LONG LEAVES

THEY GET TO BE VERY, VERY TALL

>> MANY PEOPLE NEVER GET T

TRAVEL, BUT YOU CAN TRAVEL I

THE BOTANICAL GARDEN AND THE

CONSERVATORY AND FEEL LIKE YOU

ARE ANYWHERE IN THE TROPICS AN

GET THAT FEELING OF WHY PLANTS

SORE

IMPORTANT.

>> THI

LOOKS LIKE HUMAN HAIR.

IT'S REALLY SO PRETTY.

>> AND THIS IS THE A CLIMBIN

PLANT.

REALLY PRETTY.

SO THESE ARE TURNS THAT GROW U

ON TREES IN THE TROPICS.

MANY OF THEM ARE FROM TROPICAL

AFRICA

REGION

>> THESE ARE LIVINGSTONE

THAT

LIVE AMONG ROCKS IN THE SOUT

AFRICAN DESERT

SO THEY GROW VERY ARID

IT'S TWO LEAVES TOGETHER, AS

THE PLANT GROWS.

SO BASICALLY IF YOU LOOK DOW

AT IT, YOU WILL SEE THERE AR

THESE TWO LITTLE FAT LEAVE

THAT ARE COLORED AND YOU CAN

TELL THE SPECIES APART B

TH

COLORATION OF EACH LEAF AN

THEN THE MIDDLE OF THEM, THE

FLOWER

COMES OUT.

>> THE CONSERVATORY ALSO PLAYS

HOST TO SPECIAL EXHIBITION

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

A HIGHLIGHT IS THE ACCLAIMED

ANNUAL ORCHID SHOW

IT'S THE LARGEST EXHIBITION OF

ORCHIDS IN THE

COUNTRY,

DISPLAYING THOUSANDS OF THES

CELEBRATED PLANTS.

>> ORCHID ENTHUSIASTS COME AND

PHOTOGRAPHERS COME AND PEOPL

COME T

REALLY LEARN ABOUT WHY

THESE PLANTS ARE SO DIFFERENT.

WHAT MAKES THEM SO UNIQUE?

♪

>> ANOTHER POPULAR ATTRACTIO

IN THE CONSERVATORY IS THE

ANNUAL TRAIN SHOW, WHICH HAS

DELIGHTED VISITORS DURING TH

WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON FOR OVER

20 YEARS

IT IS A MAGICAL LANDSCAPE, WIT

MORE THAN A DOZEN MODE

TRAINS

ZIGZAGGING AROUND 140 REPLICAS

OF

ICONIC NEW YORK BRIDGES AN

BUILDINGS.

ALL CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY OUT O

PLANT MATERIALS.

>> WE STARTED THIS WITH ONLY A

FE

BUILDINGS OF IMPORTANT

EUROPE LANDMARKS AND OVER MORE

THAN 20 YEARS, IT'S GROWN INTO

ITS OWN UNIVERSE

>> FAVORITES INCLUDE THE EMPIR

STAT

BUILDING, YANKEE

STADIUM,

AND EVEN THIS ICONIC

CONSERVATORY

>> IT'S SUCH A GRAND OLD

BUILDING

IT IS REALLY,

THINK, THE MOS

BEAUTIFUL, MOS

REMARKABLE

CONSERVATORY IN THE WORLD.

>> OUTSIDE THE CONSERVATORY, A

SPRAWLING 250-ACRE LANDSCAPE

AWAITS

WITH OVER 1 MILLION PLANTS

GROWING IN 5

GARDENS AN

INDIVIDUAL

COLLECTIONS ON

DISPLAY YEAR ROUND FOR ANYON

TO ENJOY

>> THE GARDEN HERE IS REALLY A

MUSEUM OF PLANTS

IF YOU THINK ABOUT A MUSEUM,

YOU THINK ABOUT LOOKING AT

BEAUTIFUL PAINTINGS OR MAYBE A

SCULPTURE, BUT WHEN YOU COME

HERE, IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT TH

PLANTS, YOU WILL SEE THAT THEY

ARE EVERY BIT AS BEAUTIFUL A

ANY PAINTING THAT YO

CA

SEE.

>> KRISTEN SLATER, CURATES ALL

9 OUTDOOR GARDENS AND PLAN

COLLECTIONS.

>> THIS IS THE PEGGY

ROCKEFELLER ROSE GARDEN,

DESIGNED BY BEATRICE FERON I

1916

IT CONTAINS MORE THAN 4,00

ROSES AND OVER 600 VARIETIES

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE GARDEN

IS

LAID OUT IN A TRIANGULAR SHAPE

THERE ARE 83 TRIANGULAR BEDS

AND THREE MAIN AISLES THAT LEA

ALL TO A BEAUTIFUL CENTE

GAZEBO

THAT BETRAY TRACE

BEATRICE FERON

HERSELF DESIGNED

THIS IS THE ROCK GARDEN.

IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST GARDENS

HERE AT THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL

GARDEN

IT WAS DESIGNED IN THE LAT

1930s, BY T.H. ENVIRONMENTER

RECEIPT.

MANY MANY THINK OF A ROC

GARDEN

AS A GUARD THAN GROW

IN HIGH ALPINE SITES

HE DEFINED IT AS A PLACE THA

LOOKS GREAT WITH

ROCKS.

UP AT THE TOP OF MOUNTAINS

WHERE THE SNOW AND THE GLACIER

MELT, YOU HAVE THE WATER THA

SEEPS DOWN INTO ROCKY SOIL

WE DUPLICATED THAT AS BEST A

WE CAN

AND YOU CAN SEE THE STREAM THA

RUNS THROUGH SOME ROCKY SOIL

AND SINCE IT'S THEIR NATURAL

HABITAT, WE PUT LOTS OF HIGH

ALPINE PLANTS HERE

>> LIKE WORKS OF ART, THAT HAV

COME TO LIFE, THESE GARDEN

ABOUND WITH BEAUTY

AND ON A HILLSIDE IN SPRING,

ONE PARTICULAR GARDEN SHOWS IT

TRUE COLORS.

>> WE ARE IN THE AZALEA GARDEN

WE HAVE OVER 1,000 AZALEA AN

RODE ADEN

RHODODENDRUM IN THE EARLY MAY.

WHAT MAKES THIS SO SPECIAL I

THE FABULOUS COLLECTION OF

OTHER TREES AND SHRUBS THAT RU

THROUGHOUT ITS 11 ACRES.

>> THE MOST RECENT

ADDITION T

THE LANDSCAPE IS THE NATIV

PLANT GARDEN WITH A 230-FOOT

LONG WATER FEATURE AT IT

CENTER

THIS MODERN GARDEN WAS BUILT

WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND.

IN THE NATIVE PLANT GARDEN W

WORKED REALLY HARD TO PUT TH

RIGHT PLAN IN THE RIGHT PLAC

TO MATCH THE GROWING CONDITION

THAT PLANTS PREFER, WITH THE

SITE

THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS WE MADE

THIS GARDEN SUSTAINABLE.

IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PLAN I

THE RIGHT PLACE, YOU DON'T

FIGHT IT

YOU DON'T HAVE TO OVER WATER

IT

AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPLAC

IT A THOUSAND TIMES EITHER

WE HAVE BIRDS HERE, NESTING AN

EATING THE SEEDS

WE HAV

BUTTERFLIES.

IT'S REALLY JUST BEEN SO

WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL OF TH

NATURE COME TO THE GARDEN.

>> THE GARDEN IS CONSTANTL

CHANGING

THROUGH THE CYCLE OF THE

SEASONS, AND GROWING IN NE

WAYS EVERY DAY

A VISIT ANY DAY OF THE YEAR IS

A CHANCE TO BE SURROUNDED BY

LIFE

BUT THE GARDEN IS NOT ONLY

DEDICATED TO SHOWCASING PLANTS

THAT

ARE ALIVE.

TUCKED AWAY AND HIDDEN DEE

WITHIN THIS BUILDING IS AN

EXTRAORDINARY HISTORY OF THE

PLANT KINGDOM, AN ARCHIV

RARELY EVER SEEN BY MOST

VISITORS

THIS

HERBARIUM HOLDS A TROVE OF

OVER 7 MILLION TRIED PLANT

COLLECTED FOR -- DRIED PLANT

COLLECTED FOR CENTURIES FROM

AROUND THE WORLD

BOTANISTS USE THE PRESERVE

SPECIMENS AS A REFERENCE T

HELP

IDENTIFY AND NAME NEWL

DISCOVERED PLANTS.

THIS I

THE LARGEST HERBARIU

IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE AN

IT'S MANAGED BY BARBARA TEARS.

>> WHEN THE PLANT SPECIMEN

FIRST ARRIVE AT THE GARDEN

THEY COME IN HERE, RIGHT FRO

THE FIELD AND THOSE ARE WAITIN

TO BE IDENTIFIED

SOMETIMES IT TAKES A FEW MONTH

FO

SPECIMENS TO BE IDENTIFIED

AND SOMETIME IT'S TAKES 50

YEARS.

IT DEPENDS WHETHER OR NOT THAT

PLANT GROUP HAS A SPECIALIST

ALL OF THESE PLANTS ARE ALREAD

IDENTIFIED AND THEY ARE JUST

WAITING THEIR TURN TO GO UP TO

THE MOUNTING ROOM WHERE THEY

WILL BE GLUED TO MAINER AN

EVENTUALLY FILED IN TH

HERBARIUM.

>> THE COLLECTION REPRESENTS A

CENTURY'S OLD PRACTICE O

DRYING NEWLY DISCOVERE

PLANTS

GLUING THEM TO PAPER AND

RECORDING THEM IN AN ARCHIVE

THEY CAN GO THROUGH FIVE

GALLONS OF GLUE EVERY WEEK

THE SPECIMENS OFFER A UNIQUE

LOOK INTO THE PAST

>> HERE'S A SPECIMEN THAT WA

COLLECTED BY CHARLES DARWIN AN

IN THIS CASE, THE SPECIMEN I

ACTUALLY NOT EVEN A FLOWERIN

PLANT.

IT IS A TINY MOSS THAT H

COLLECTED ON THE VOYAGE OF THE

BEAGLE

HERE'S ONE THAT'S OLDER.

THIS IS A SPECIMEN FROM TH

CAPTAI

COOK VOYAGE, WHICH WEN

AROUND THE CAPE OF

GOOD HOPE IN

THE 1700s.

THEY WOULDN'T KNOW WHETHER I

WAS COLLECTED 10 YEARS AGO O

TWO CENTURIES AGO, AS LONG A

THEY ARE KEPT DRY AND FLAT AND

AWAY FROM BUG DAMAGE, THEY LAS

INDEFINITELY

>> TO THIS DAY

BOTANIST

AR

SENDING THOUSANDS OF SPECIMENS

TO THE HERBARIUM

IT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THE GARDE

HAS LED THE WORLD IN PLANT

SCIENCE.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE GARDE

HAS BEEN A HUB FOR SCIENTISTS,

SENDING THEM ON FIEL

EXPEDITIONS TO DISCOVER NE

SPECIES AND PROVIDIN

FACILITIES IN WHICH TO STUDY

THEM

EVEN THOMAS EDISON CONDUCTED

RESEARCH HERE IN THE 1920s

SEARCHING FOR A DOMESTIC SOURC

OF RUBBER.

TODAY, SCIENTISTS AT THE GARDE

WORK IN

STATE-OF-THE-ART

LABORATORY, STUDYING PLANTS ON

A MOLECULAR LEVEL.

SEQUENCING THEIR DNA AND

UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY ARE

RELATED TO EACH OTHER.

>> SO HOW IS IT THAT WE HAVE

MAYBE 400,000 SPECIES OF

PLANTS

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

WHY DID IT HAPPEN?

WHERE DID IT HAPPEN?

>> ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE THESE

HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE CORE OF

THE GARDEN'S SCIENCE PROGRAM

TODAY, IT IS A GLOBA

OPERATION.

WITH A HERBARIUM BEING

DIGITIZED INTO AN ONLINE

DATABASE SO THAT SCIENTIST

AROUND THE WORLD MAY EASIL

ACCESS ITS COLLECTION.

AND FROM THE LABORATORY TO

FIELD RESEARCH, THE GOAL STILL

REMAINS TO DISCOVER AN

IDENTIFY THE WORLD'S PLANTS IN

ORDER TO CONSERVE THEM

>> WE MAY BE PUSHING SOMEWHERE

BETWEEN 20 AND 30% OF TH

WORLD'S PLANT SPECIES INTO A

INEXORABLE DECLINE IN TH

WORL

TO EXTINCTION.

WE SIMPLY CAN'T THIN

CONSTRUCTIVELY ABOUT HOW T

CONSERVE A GROUP OF ORGANISM

WHEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY

ARE.

>> CONSERVATION AWARENESS IS

THE CORNERSTONE OF THE GARDEN'

MISSION AND FOR A GARDEN IN TH

MIDDLE OF A CITY, THAT MISSION

POSES AN EVE

GREATE

CHALLENGE.

>> WE HAVE

QUITE A SET OF

SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES,

THINK AS AN INSTITUTION, AS TH

NEXT GENERATION COME

ONLINE

AND THEY ARE VERY REMOVED FROM

THE NATURAL WORLD.

>> TO RECONNECT THE NEXT

GENERATION WITH NATURE, TH

CHILDREN'S GARDENING PROGRAM

GIVES SCHOOL CHILDREN TH

CHANCE TO TEND THEIR OWN PLOTS

AND LEARN ABOUT THE LIFE CYCLE

OF PLANTS.

>> ALYSSA, YOU HAVE A TROWEL

AND MAXWELL, YOU HOLD THIS

>> THEY ARE FINDING THES

THINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

IT NEVER GETS OLD WATCHING A

KID PULL -- TUG ON THE LEAVE

OF A CARROT AND COME U

WITH

THE ROOT

>> THIS IS A SUPER LONG CARROT

>> I

BY PLANTING, PICKING, AN

PREPARING, CHILDREN DISCOVER

THE JOYS OF EATING FOOD THEY

HAVE GROWN

THEMSELVES

>> THERE'S SOME SCHOOL CHILDRE

AND THEY WERE ALL PICKIN

VEGETABLES AND MAKING A SALA

AND THIS ONE LITTLE GIRL SAID,

OH, THIS IS THE KANISHA SA

EDUCATIONAL.

I SAID, WHY IS THAT?

I PICK IT AND I BRING IT HOM

AND THAT'S WHAT MY CALLS IT.

I THINK SEEING IT THROUG

CHILDREN'S EYES, IT MAKES YO

REALIZE IT'S VERY SIMPLE, BU

IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

>> AND FOR CHILDREN GROWING UP

IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT,

GETTING THEIR HANDS IN THE DIR

PROVIDES VALUABLE LESSONS ABOU

CONSERVATION

>> PEOPLE ARE KIND OF WAKING U

TO, YOU KNOW WHERE DOES THIS

FOOD COME FROM

WHO GREW THIS?

IS IT HEALTHY?

HOW COULD I GROW IT?

CAN YOU DO THIS WITH YOUR OW

HANDS?

DOES IT TASTE BETTER

URBAN CHILDREN ARE ASKING THOS

QUESTIONS.

>> AND FOR VISITORS OF ALL

AGES, THE GARDEN FOSTERS A

DEEPER CONNECTION TO NATURE.

>> WE JUST HOPE THAT PEOPL

WILL LEARN ABOUT PLANTS AN

LEARN TO LOVE THEM AS MUCH A

WE DO AND THAT THAT WILL MAK

THEM BETTER AND MORE THOUGHTFU

CITIZENS

>> I HOPE THAT THEY AR

INSPIRED TO GO BACK TO WHEREVE

THEY ARE FROM, WHETHER IT'

BROOKLYN, OR BANGLADESH AND BE

A LITTLE BIT MORE COMMITTED, A

LITTLE BIT MORE ENGAGED WITH

NATURE AND PLANTS IN THE

ENVIRONMENT.

>> IT IS THE SAME FUNDAMENTA

GOAL SHARED BY THE GARDEN'

FOUNDERS WHO LONG AGO CONCEIVE

OF A PLACE TO CULTIVATE, STUDY

AND CONSERVE THE

NATURAL WORLD.

>> YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S EDEN FOR

ME SOMETIMES AND I THINK WHAT

REMARKABLE THING WE ARE DOIN

HERE TO BE

ABLE TO GROW THESE

INCREDIBLE TROPICAL PLANTS I

THE MIDDLE OF NEW YORK

I MEAN, HOW GREAT IS THAT?

IT'S JUST REALLY AMAZING

>> WHEN PEOPLE GO THROUGH AN

STROLL THROUGH THE GARDEN, THE

ARE GETTING A PICTURE OF

BEAUTY

THEY ARE GETTING ALL THE

LANDSCAPE, THE ARTISTIC VIEW O

THE PLANT WORLD, BUT THEY AR

ALSO SEEING THE TREMENDOUS

DIVERSITY OF THOSE PLANTS AN

SO THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT

SCIENCE IS DOING

IT'S TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT

AND THEN RELAY THAT TO THE

GENERAL PUBLIC

>> WHETHER YOU ARE JUST LOOKIN

FOR PEACE OR WHETHER YOU ARE

LOOKING TO PURSUE A PASSION IN

A SPECIFIC SORT OF PLANT, AN

NEW YORKER CAN COME HERE AND

FIND SOMETHING TO JUST SPU

THEM ON TO GREATER PURSUIT O

THEIR PASSION.

>> THAT PASSION FOR PLANTS I

WHAT HAS GROWN THIS GARDEN INT

ONE OF THE CITY'S PREMIE

CULTURAL

INSTITUTIONS, WHER

ANYONE CAN COM

AND ENJOY.

>> THIS IS HOW I DO IT

>> LEARN

>> AND EXPLORE THE UNLIMITED

BEAUTY OF NATURE

>> THE GARDEN HA

A -- I CAL

IT

AN

INEFFABLE CHARM, MAYBE

IT'S THE LANDSCAPE, TH

CONSERVATORY

ITSELF, THE SET OF

GARDENS.

SOMETHING WILL SWEEP YOU AWAY.

IT'S REALLY LIKE NO OTHE

PLACE.

♪

>> YEAR AFTER YEAR, SEASON

AFTER SEASON, THE NEW YORK

BOTANICAL GARDEN WITH ITS VAST

COLLECTION OF PLANTS CONTINUES

TO DELIGHT VISITORS FROM ALL

OVER THE WORLD AND THE GARDE

WILL ALWAYS BE AN IMPORTAN

PLACE FOR CONSERVATION AND

LEARNING, TO ENSURE THE FUTURE

OF THE PLANT KINGDOM FOR MAN

GENERATIONS TO COME.

I'M SIGOURNEY WEAVER

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING

"TREASURES OF NEW YORK."

THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN.

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