Cheyenne Botanic Gardens


 

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Children's Village

 

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NEWS

 

Opportunity is missed by
most people because

it is dressed in overalls
and looks like work.

-  Thomas A. Edison
 
 

News about - and press releases from the
Cheyenne Botanic Gardens


click here to view upcoming events


08/9/10

Article In Wyoming Tribune Eagle

"Children's Village seeks funds to cover salaries"

click here to view article

 

07/26/10

Article In New York Times

Paul Smith Children's Village mentioned in article:

"Botanical Gardens Look for New Lures"

click here to view article

 

 

07/19/10

Press Release-

Botanic Gardens adds new water fountain in Paul Smith Children's Village
The Paul Smith Children’s Village has a new addition. A “Pretty Water” Fountain has been installed in the Jess and Elizabeth Tolterton Secret Garden. The water fountain is designed to allow children to paint with water. 
See press release

 

07/08/09

Web Coverage -

Paul Smith Children's Village Featured on popular Website/Blog "Inhabitots"  

Click here to see
 

 

05/21/10

Press Release-

Botanic Gardens adds music to Paul Smith Children's Village
Staff have recently installed a vertical xylophone, known as the "Swirl," which is made of 25 chrome and brass chimes in C major and A minor, ranging in scale from soprano to alto. Children of all ages are welcome to play the instrument and make their own music while enjoying the outside Children’s Village. “This is a great new addition to the Children’s Village, because it provides an opportunity for music education, and allows for musical creativity in both the summer as well as in the winter,” said Shane Smith, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Director.
See press release

 

05/07/10

Press Release-

Mayor Kaysen proclaims National Public Garden Day
See press release

 

04/22/10

Press Release-

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, Paul Smith Children’s Village celebrates LEED Platinum Certification

* This is the first Children's Garden in nation to receive such a designation.
* Platinum is the highest rating a project can have.
* This is the first Platinum LEED designation in the City of Cheyenne
* It is the second Platinum LEED certification in the State of Wyoming

See press release or click here

 

04/01/10

In Wyoming Tribune Eagle-

"Paul Smith Children's Village gets highest LEED certification"

click here to view article

 

04/01/10

In Wyoming Tribune Eagle-

"City lays off 20 employees"

click here to view article

 

09/27/09

Opinion in Wyoming Tribune Eagle-

"City should honor pledge to Gardens"
click here to view article

 

09/24/09

Opinion in Wyoming Tribune Eagle-

"Once again, Cheyenne gets it done"
"When friends come to visit and ask where they can take their kids, what do you tell them? Yes, there's Fridays on the Plaza, but then what? Now they have this children's garden." -- Cheyenne City Councilman Mark Rinne."

click here to view article

 

09/24/09

Article in Wyoming Tribune Eagle-

"Go ahead and be childish
That’s how organizers encouraged adults to act as parents and their children walked through the Paul Smith Children’s Village, located at the Botanic Gardens during the grand opening on Wednesday."

"Such businesses would make sense for the city-owned site because it’s surrounded by recreational facilities, a city official said in a memo."

click here to view article

 

09/23/09

Article in Wyoming Tribune Eagle-

"Windmill land destined for hotels, restaurants?"

"Such businesses would make sense for the city-owned site because it’s surrounded by recreational facilities, a city official said in a memo."

click here to view article

 

09/22/09

Video - CBS News Channel 5 on Children's Village Opening

Click here to view video

 

09/17/09

News Release

Paul Smith Children’s Village set to open

See Photos of Construction
View Children's Village Map

Click here to view Press Release (pdf) 

 

08/12/09

Article in Wyoming Tribune Eagle-

"No need to rush sale of property"

Click here to view

 

08/07/09

Article in Cheyenne Herald

"Was money promised to the Botanic Gardens"

click here to view

 

07/26/09

Article in Wyoming Tribune Eagle-

"Spiker alters position on land-for-ice proposal"

click here to view

 

07/20/09

Article in Wyoming Tribune Eagle -

"Children's Garden awaits finish"

Click here to view

 

07/14/09

Botanic Gardens and Director Shane Smith are mentioned and quoted in an article on "Gardening in a Wheelchair," on the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Website.

See link here

 

07/08/09

News Release

CBG Director, Shane Smith honored for starting Wyoming's first farmers market in 1980

The Director of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens was recently honored for his role in starting the State of Wyoming's first public, modern-day farmers market. A plaque and "Award of Excellence" was recently presented to Smith from the Wyoming Farmer's Market Association for his "Dedication and persistence in founding and developing the State's first farmers' market." Smith is pictured right.

 

07/08/09

Editorial in Wyoming Tribune Eagle -

"A pledge was made to Gardens"

Click here to view

 

07/08/09

Article in Wyoming Tribune Eagle -

"City has property to sell, but who gets profit cash?"

Click here to view

 

06/29/09

Article in Wyoming Tribune Eagle -

"Botanic Gardens gets short end of
land-swap stick"

Click here to view

 

06/30/09

Editorial in Wyoming Tribune Eagle -

"Just say no to land sale proposal"

Click here to view

 

04/09

News Release

Community College wind students install Botanic Gardens Wind Turbine

The underlying theme of the Paul Smith Children’s Village will be sustainability. To that end the project will be working to get platinum LEEDS certification. The classroom building and the site will be powered by both wind and solar photovoltaic panels. Recently the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in a partnership with Laramie County Community College set up a new wind generator.


“This partnership with the LCCC Wind Energy Technician Program is the perfect kickoff for a project that will be a great educational resource in the region,” said Cheyenne Botanic Gardens director Shane Smith. Suncor Energy provided the funding needed to purchase the wind turbine.

 

The turbine is manufactured by Mariah Power and the model is a "Windspire." The Paul Smith Children's Village is set to open mid summer of 2010
.

Read press release here


04/09 Botanic Gardens featured in magazine

 

"Zone 4" is a new regional magazine for people who garden in, you guessed it, zone 4. The magazine is focused on zone 4 in the "high country west." Our horticulturist, Sue Whetten, recently wrote an article that talks about the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. Check out this new regional gardening magazine! Click here learn about the magazine.

Click Here to view article about the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens


News Release

02/2/09 Botanic Gardens names Children's
Village for Paul Smith

 

 

The Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Foundation has named the Children's Village for the late Paul Smith, in honor of his long time support of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. Read More Here


 

02/2/09

News Release

Botanic Gardens recycles Furniture

The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens is recycling furniture and other office equipment from the old St. Mary's School to be used in the new Lowe's Discovery Lab/Classroom at the Children's Village. Read more here


11/21/08

News Release

Botanic Gardens featured in national landscape magazine

The magazine Landscape Architect and Specifier News in its December 08 issue featured the design process of the new Children's Garden under construction during winter of 08-09. The article is titled "Children's Garden Offers Lessons in Sustainability See it here online!


5/7/08 Voters approve funds for planning of repairs, renovation and expansion of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Conservatory
 

On Tuesday, May 8, 2008 Cheyenne Voters approved a penny tax that included $750,000 for the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens which will go towards planning, engineering and designs for repairs, renovations and expansion of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Conservatory.

 

The total cost of construction will be $10,000,000. Funds for construction are anticipated to come from City or Cheyenne lands sales.

 

Shane Smith, Director of the Gardens said , "After 30 years of existence, we're proud and honored. This is our first ballot issue. It's confirmation we've been doing the right thing for 30 years - doing more with less and always trying to be frugal." 

 

 Click here for Wyoming Tribune/Eagle article on the vote


2/1/08 Children's Garden Campaign
News Release
Children's Garden Campaign goal reached! (pdf news release February 2008)


1/30/2008 Agreement reached to create Wyoming's first arboretum

For over 8 years the Friends of the High Plains Arboretum has been working to make this

arboretum a reality. The Friends of the High Plains Arboretum is a subcommittee of the

Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. With help from the Friends of the High Plains

Arboretum, the USDA and the city of Cheyenne entered into an agreement that returns 62

acres of land from a USDA lease back to the control of Cheyenne. This acreage will be the

basis of the future High Plains Arboretum and will be operated by the Cheyenne Botanic

Gardens with assistance from the City of Cheyenne Urban Forestry division. The arboretum

is about five miles northwest of downtown Cheyenne.

High Plains Arboretum agreement reached. Click to read press release (pdf).


09/21/07 Cheyenne children’s garden design receives recognition

The Colorado Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture (CCASLA) announced that it has given a merit award to landscape architect, Herb Schaal for his design of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Children's Garden. 

Schaal is with the landscape architectural firm of EDAW and works out of their Fort Collins office.  Schaal has received over 50 state and national awards for his work that focuses primarily on landscape designs for public gardens as well as restorative gardens and landscapes adjacent to national park infrastructure. EDAW is the largest landscape architecture firm in the world (with offices all over the world) and Schaal is EDAW's most highly awarded landscape architect. In addition, Schaal is the recipient of more state and national awards than any other landscape architect in the Rocky Mountain region.

The Cheyenne Children’s Garden, as with all Cheyenne Botanic Garden landscapes, is being privately funded by donations, with construction set to begin in 2008. The Botanic Gardens fundraising effort is three-quarters of the way towards its goal of raising $1.3 million. "We are proud to have one of the world's top landscape architects creating an award-winning design for our community and we look forward to more recognition of this unique garden after it is built," said Shane Smith, Director of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens.

For more information on the Children's Garden please visit www.botanic.org or call 307-637-6458.


Summer 2007 - Gene Howard Sculpture dedication

A sculpture of noted horticulturist Gene Howard was be dedicated at in the Rotary Century Plazas. The Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens commissioned Guadalupe Barajas to do the bronze. Barajas is well known for capturing both the look and the spirit of his subjects. The sculpture depicts the late Gene Howard (former Director of the Cheyenne High Plains Horticulture Research Station) kneeling down on one knee with a plant in one hand and a hand lens in another in a teaching pose. The pose is perfect because Gene was always teaching people about plants.


6/21/06 Labyrinth dedicated

Wed. June 21st, Summer Solstice 2006. Mayor Jack Spiker dedicates new Garden Labyrinth and Moon Arbor entryway. Labyrinth committee Chair, Vanda Edington assists the Mayor with ribbon cutting.

The new landscape was paid for without any tax dollars as funding was provided by donations, tributes and memorials. A major grant in memory of former first lady Roberta 'Bobby' Hathaway, made the Garden Labyrinth possible. The moon arch is dedicated to the memory of Edvina Wiederspahn.

There are still opportunities to have pavers and quote stones personalized. Contact Trudy Fox for more information at 307-637-6458.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens at 307-637-6458 or visit
www.botanic.org.

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