New Rutgers Gardens Director Marks Five Years Since Landmark Horticultural Site Designation
Lauren Errickson, who has been engaged in the development and management of food access programs at Rutgers Cooperative Extension for the past six years, was recently named director of Rutgers Gardens.
She takes over the position as the Gardens renews its commitment to diversity and inclusion, said Laura Lawson, interim executive dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Rutgers, when she announced Errickson’s new position.
“As we strengthen our educational and outreach capacity at the Gardens, post-pandemic, we are committed to expanding the diversity of its visitors and researchers, and intentionally engaging and welcoming people who may not historically have known about this amazing green space,” Lawson said.
Errickson also begins her new role as the Gardens marks the fifth anniversary of its designation as a Horticultural Landmark by the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS). The designation puts it in an elite group of sites including the New York Botanical Garden, the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., and Monticello, President Thomas Jefferson’s home in Virginia, which received ASHS’s first Horticultural Landmark designation.
Errickson answered questions about her vision for a more inclusive botanical site to mark the anniversary of the prestigious designation.
You are leading the Gardens at a crucial time in its evolution. What do you see as among your primary tasks?
The plant collections and natural areas will remain central to the mission and purpose of Rutgers Gardens. I see a key aspect of my role to be a conscientious steward of these important resources, while at the same time making the space more accessible and available to the public and the university community. We have the potential to demonstrate a blend of long-standing horticultural traditions and innovative ecological gardening practices, and through community engagement and access to green space, we can improve the well-being of New Jersey residents. I hope to help Rutgers Gardens emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic as a safe, welcoming place of beauty and enjoyment.
As a vital part of a land-grant institution, how does the Gardens meet the mission of teaching, research and service in the 21st century?
For university students, hands-on, experiential learning opportunities are incredibly important. The internship program at Rutgers Gardens gives students the chance to apply the academic and research principles they experience in the classroom in a practical setting.
Rutgers Gardens is part of a strong horticultural tradition in New Jersey that is increasingly reflected in our public display gardens. We have a unique opportunity to display the products of our agricultural and horticultural research, such as the Rutgers-developed Scarlet Fire® dogwood, in a public setting where New Jersey residents can learn about new varieties, ecological services of plants and much more. Through a new collaboration with the research-focused botanic garden Mount Cuba Center, we are excited to bring to Rutgers Gardens a new collection of lacecap hydrangeas that topped their research trials as beneficial pollinator plants.
Service is going to be an integral part of our work at Rutgers Gardens going forward. I am very interested in developing initiatives that improve community well-being through increased access to green spaces and healthy food. We already have food security efforts underway through the Rutgers Gardens Student Farm, which grows fresh vegetables for the Rutgers Student Food Pantry in a unique students-feeding-students collaboration.
Access to the Gardens has emerged as an important issue for Rutgers community and the public. What have been some of the steps to amplify this issue?
A lot of momentum was built from the celebratory March to Rutgers Gardens that was held in September 2021 and featured ecology-inspired music and storytelling along a two-mile walk from campus to the Gardens. Since then, there has been an ongoing collaboration among the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Douglass Residential College, and School of Engineering at Rutgers. Students are focused on designing accessible paths and a potential footbridge across Ryders Lane to connect the main part of Cook Campus to Rutgers Gardens. This would ensure the safe, ongoing use of the Gardens by the university and local community and connect people, plants and ecology.
One of the highly anticipated activities is the annual Rutgers Gardens plant sale. What can the public look forward to this year?
We are very excited for the return of the Spring Flower Fair plant sale at the Log Cabin on Mother’s Day weekend, May 6-8. In addition to having plants for sale, there will be local food vendors offering lunch. On May 6, Cook’s Market will be open for the first day of the summer farmers market season. SNAP benefits will be accepted for eligible food items at Cook’s Market this year, an initiative that we hope will increase fresh food access for local residents.
How can the community support the various initiatives of Rutgers Gardens?
Rutgers Gardens relies on donations to support the educational opportunities available to our student interns, preservation of our plant collections, and beautification of our garden spaces so that they can be enjoyed by all. We gratefully accept contributions year-round, and gifts made to Rutgers Gardens are tax-deductible. We are currently redeveloping our membership and memorial programs to offer more ways to get involved with supporting Rutgers Gardens. We welcome volunteers for various initiatives throughout the seasons, and of course encourage everyone to visit the Gardens to see all that we have to offer.
