BOTANIC GARDENS ON DISPLAY AT THE OLYMPICS

The important work of botanic gardens around the world is on display to a global audience just down the road from the now famous "Bird's nest" and "Water cube".

The Olympic Games' theme, One World, One Dream, extends perfectly to the worldwide family of botanic gardens, as they protect biodiversity in their backyards and around the world while re-connecting people with the natural world.

On display at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the World Botanic Gardens Exhibition is sharing the beauty and value of biodiversity to visitors from around the world, and highlighting the ongoing efforts of botanic gardens to preserve our natural plant heritage. The exhibition is co-organized by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), Chinese Academy of Sciences Botanic Gardens, and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Committee.

Seventy botanic gardens contributed conservation stories for the Exhibition, including seventeen botanic gardens from North America:

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Berry Botanic Garden

Bok Tower Gardens

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Cornell Plantations

Denver Botanic Gardens

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens

Missouri Botanical Garden

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

Royal Botanical Gardens (Hamilton & Burlington)