The Chris Tyson Plant Conservation Building was dedicated today at Montgomery. This is a very important advancement for MBC — providing the greatly needed capacity to house our plant conservation and botanical research work.
Mrs. Tyson’s generous gift enabled Montgomery to construct a new, larger facility for the seedbank program, and also provide much needed workspace for botanical research, for visiting colleagues and the MBC team.
Christiane Tyson, a longtime volunteer at MBC, and supporter of botany, horticulture, and gardens, saw the need for this facility at MBC. Christiane and Christopher Tyson worked closely with MBC, its architect, and landscape architect, to design a building that meets Montgomery’s increasing work needs, and also integrates with the existing architecture and garden design.
Over 100 guests gathered for the dedication, and included many of the Tyson Family, who travelled great distances to attend. MBC’s friends, colleagues, supporters, board, and staff were represented, as well as many of Miami’s botanical instutions: The Kampong, Pinecrest Gardens, The Gifford Arboretum, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, and botanists from Florida International University, and the University of Miami.
A selection of speakers offered remarks on the occasion, highlighting how horticulture and botany will see greater success through Mrs. Tyson’s generous gift. MBC President Charles P. Sacher highlighted all of MBC’s ongoing work in botany that will be based in the new building. John DeMott shared the history — and future growth — of the seedbank program. Dr. Carol Horvitz spoke of how this moves collaboration among our botanical community forward for the sake of plant science.
Chris, a dedicated plant enthusiast, was presented with a seedling to commemorate the occasion. Dr. Patrick Griffith, MBC Executive Director stated:
“If you know Chris, you know that she loves to give and receive plants. This, of course, is what marks a true plant person – unfettered exchange of these living treasures. Chris and I have shared a number of interesting plants over the years.
Today, I would like to present Chris with a very special plant, one that exemplifies why her gift means so much. The plant here is Microcycas calocoma, a critically endangered cycad. Our seedbank program has helped this plant a great deal. This is a finicky, difficult to propagate plant, and a glacially slow growing one. There are less than 600 plants in the wild. Our work at MBC, through Judy Kay, our seedbank coordinator, has produced and distributed over 6,000 seeds!
That is over 10 times as many plants as in the wild. Making this rare, expensive, difficult and coveted plant widely available is our goal. This reduces poaching, and ensures the species will not go extinct. This is just one example of why we grow plants and the great work we can do through our seedbank.
Please accept this living treasure on behalf of the MBC team. Chris, with your gift, we look forward to many more successes like this one. “
Christiane Tyson then related her perspective, and shared her vision for helping gardens and botanists. Chris highlighted her values, how she realized she could help move botany forward, and shared her desire to see good projects continue.
Please enjoy the Dedication Program, see a selection of photographs from the reception, and join MBC in thanking the Tysons for their deeply generous gift and for their dedication to gardens.