Warm greetings to you from River Farm, where winter has most definitely made its entrance. It seems like such a short time ago that we were commenting on hot and humid days, but already we’ve seen a few snowflakes here at River Farm. I can hardly believe that the holidays and the year-end are upon us again! As I glance back on my first year serving as the Executive Director, I am pleased at what we’ve been able to accomplish with your help, including:

• Our 2008 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium drew record attendance with more than 330 attendees from 35 states. Through a “train the trainer” approach, conservative estimates place the symposium’s reach at more than 250,000 youth across America.
• Another year of producing The American Gardener, our highly acclaimed national magazine. In addition, Editor David Ellis was named a Fellow of the Garden Writers Association, one of the top honors in his field.
•  In mid-October, our “green” gardening exhibit, the AHS Green Garage concluded a five-month appearance on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Our message of sustainable gardening was conveyed to tens of thousands of visitors to the United States Botanic Garden.
• We enhanced our communications with another season of online seminars and our newly enhanced e-bulletins. Now over ninety percent of our program enrollments are transacted online, saving valuable natural and institutional resources.

Like most of you, we’ve also been “tightening our belts” here at the AHS to navigate through this challenging economic period, while making plans for the coming year. Even as the economy continues to struggle, we are doubling our efforts to provide excellent member services, exemplary educational programming, and strategic improvements. Green is the color of hope, spring will come again, and this difficult time will fade in our memories.

Many worthy organizations will ask for your help this year. Let me urge you to consider making an investment in the future of the American Horticultural Society. With your help, we will continue to provide the latest horticultural information to home gardeners and professionals; to give educators, garden designers, and youth leaders the tools they need to teach children about the stewardship of the earth; and to share our unique headquarters facility, River Farm, with thousands of visitors each year.

Please accept my best wishes for a healthy, happy, and more prosperous new year along with my sincere thanks for your continued support of the American Horticultural Society.

Tom Underwood
Executive Director
 

Back to the December 2008 Newsletter