An innovative and impactful collaboration between Denver Botanic Gardens, Xcel Energy</a>, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)</a> and the City of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency</a> is culminating in an extensive, 4.5-acre solar array and agrivoltaics display at Chatfield Farms</a>. Agrivoltaics, also known as agrisolar, is the combined use of land for agriculture and solar power generation. The electricity produced by this renewable source will not only provide enough power to operate Chatfield Farms, but also be used to provide electricity for low-income housing in Denver. </p> This sustainable energy initiative is an integral part of the first phase of construction for the Chatfield Farms Master Development Plan, scheduled to begin in June of 2023.</p> Enough energy will be supplied through this solar array that natural gas lines will not need to be extended to power the new or existing buildings at Chatfield Farms. Electric air-source heat pumps will heat and cool all buildings powered by the renewable solar energy produced on site. </p> Chatfield Farms will receive approximately 250,000 kWh per year of discounted power from the 1.2-megawatt array, which should be sufficient to provide electrical power for all existing and new buildings on the site. The remaining 750,000 kWh per year will provide electricity for low-income housing in Denver.</p> Xcel Energy has been assisting with upgrading the existing power line into Chatfield Farms to carry solar electricity to our campus and beyond to the electrical grid. This project demonstrates Xcel Energy’s commitment to partnering with customers and communities to advance clean energy production and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado as the company works towards becoming a net-zero energy provider by 2050.</p> Beneath the new solar array, Chatfield Farms staff will build an agrivoltaics demonstration and production farm. The agrisolar farm will produce mixed vegetables, herbs and fruit for Chatfield Farms’ many food partners and the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. It will also provide educational resources and inspiration to visitors and farmers locally and globally. NREL is working to secure grants to fund research and equipment to fully develop the agrivoltaics farm. The research will enhance the energy-water-land nexus this project encompasses.</p> The solar array, along with a robust new composting program to eliminate green waste generated from farming and horticulture, puts Chatfield Farms at the forefront of sustainable operations for Denver Botanic Gardens. We are excited to incorporate these pioneering technologies on our historical farm, aligned with our five-year institutional strategic plan</a> and living out our core values of relevance, transformation and sustainability. </p>
Lore is knowledge gained through tradition or anecdote and passed down through the ages, from generation to generation. The lore of plants has long been an integral part of humanity; influencing our religion, medicinal remedies, the food we eat—and even our behaviors.</p> Can you recall lore passed down to you by an older family member or trusted teacher? Maybe something like “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” or the notion that you should “knock on wood?” Lore weaves itself into a healthy diet as easily as it does superstition.</p> Speaking of wood, the lore of elderberry</strong> (Sambucus spp.</em>) describes this woody plant as having properties of protection from witches. Early European stories attribute bad luck to cutting the wood of elderberry plants or crafting an infant’s crib from its wood. According to Grimms’ fairy tales, it is wise to keep a bouquet of elderflowers picked in midsummer on hand in case the devil wanders by. </p>
In September, I had the privilege of attending the 7th Global Botanic Garden Congress held in Melbourne, Australia, hosted by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. The meeting, organized through Botanic Gardens Conservation International, brings together botanic garden professionals from across the globe who are all passionate about plant conservation. This is the second Global Congress I have had the opportunity to attend. </p> This was my first trip to the Southern Hemisphere, and I landed on the first day of spring. After spending a few days adapting to the time change, I kicked off the conference with a full day field trip exploring local sites. We started with a trip to the Geelong Botanic Garden</a>. Their newly finished Australia garden beautifully showcases the varied ecosystems of the continent. </p> The afternoon consisted of several stops in the Anglesea Heath and a lunch break at a coastal golf club with wild kangaroos dotting the driving range. We were graciously hosted by the local Anglesea botanical club where we spied tiny terrestrial orchids, many varieties of Acacia and many additional plant genera that were all new to me. I enjoyed getting a feel for the ecosystem on our walk to the coast overlooking Bell’s Beach. The field trip provided for an opportunity not only to see the local flora and areas outside of Melbourne, but to meet and get to know other conference attendees.</p> The conference kicked off at the Melbourne convention center with a ceremony by local aboriginal representatives, who welcomed 500 delegates through song and dance. The three days of meeting were filled with talks, poster presentations, workshops and conversation focused on the theme “Influence and Action: Botanic gardens as agents of change.” There were talks highlighting conservation horticulture, education and engagement around conservation and climate change, and global strategic planning on how to enhance our collective impact for plant conservation. </p> As a participant in the Ecological Restoration Alliance Symposium focused on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, I presented on our Chatfield Farms</a> riparian and meadow restoration projects. I also presented a rapid-fire talk on the North American Botanic Garden Strategy for Alpine Plant Conservation, encouraging attendees to use our strategy as a model for protecting vulnerable ecosystems in their region. </p> The meeting was over too quickly, and I wish I had the opportunity to learn and network more, but that is the nature of a good conference. It leaves you exhausted and thirsting for more. </p> I stayed on in Australia for a week after the conference ended. I was lucky enough to camp in the temperate rainforest with koalas walking through our campsite, to hike along the Great Ocean Walk and to see the Twelve Apostles</a>. I put my toes in the Southern Ocean, saw platypus in the wild, visited the little penguins on Phillip Island</a> and made sure to spend time at both host gardens: Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne</a> and Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne</a>. </p> I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the congress. I have new ideas of how to connect Denver Botanic Gardens to the broader conservation community for greater impact and reinforced professional connections with colleagues from across the globe. I look forward to the next Congress to be held in Singapore in 2024. </p>
Restoration is an integral part of land management and conservation. As natural disasters and human activity continue to impact biodiversity and wildlife habitat, it is becoming increasingly important to restore degraded land back into healthy ecosystems. Here at Denver Botanic Gardens, many scientists conduct research on ways to improve how we restore native plant communities in the Front Range. This year, I conducted this type of research down at Chatfield Farms, using native plant species brought in from all over the Western United States to see how well they grow here in Colorado. </p> With the help of many of the Research & Conservation Department’s wonderful seasonal staff, we planted over 5,000 seedlings from four different species native to the Front Range of Colorado and collected data on how the plants grew over the summer. We were pleased to see that they all did quite well in their first year! After just a few months in the ground, our seedlings were big and happy, which is good news for restoration efforts. Each seedling will continue to be monitored over the next several years to see how they perform long-term. </p> With climate change on the horizon, it’s important for land managers, like the Bureau of Land Management, to know what plants will survive here long term. Often it can be helpful to use species that are native to Colorado, but use of plants or seed that come from hotter and dryer regions in the county can help them to better adapt and survive long-term as temperatures get warmer and rain becomes less frequent. Other times, it is best to use plants or seeds that have been growing as close to the restoration site as possible, so that they are already well adapted to the environment they will be growing in. Knowing where to source plants from and where to plant them is an important research topic for bringing back native plant communities to Colorado! </p>
Check your calendars and get inspired for a party! All kinds of get-togethers are welcome, and our spaces can accommodate any size, small or large. The Gardens is an ideal venue for weddings, company picnics</a>, baby or bridal showers, holiday parties</a> and more. We offer traditional indoor spaces with A/V capabilities and some charming non-traditional spaces, such as the solarium, Water Garden Gazebo and Orangery (see gallery below). Talk to our event staff at York Street to help guide you to find a space</a> that will make your event extraordinary.</p> Our gardens are stunning any time of the year: in springtime with armloads of bright tulips, during the winter while covered with sparkling snow, abundant with blossoms in summer and with flourishes of color and crispness in autumn. Booking an event with us gives your guests access to explore our beautiful 24 acres. Hosting an event here will dazzle your guests.</p> Popular dates, weekends and certain spaces fill up quickly, so get in touch with us soon! Fill out our rental inquiry form</strong></a> or reach out to our team at York Street at private.events@botanicgardens.org</a> or call 720-865-3551.</p>
