WASHINGTON GARDENER
DC-Area Garden Happenings: News from the Local Horticultural World
With that in mind, rather than moving forward with a merger with APGA, our board has committed to maintaining AHS as an independent national nonprofit with its own board, staff, and headquarters. The board is now working diligently to further de- velop a sustainable business model that would allow AHS to streamline expenses and continue operating as an independent national nonprofit organization for the next 100 years. The charge is to develop a model that would allow the varied programming and resources that our members across the United States know and enjoy to continue while adding new program- ming to keep AHS relevant and help it make a connection between people and plants. As part of this new mod- el, we are focused on building collab- orative relationships with APGA and other like-minded organizations [that] have a shared interest in building and expanding horticultural programming and other initiatives across the country. ...to move forward with this renewed vision, we are dependent on the pro- ceeds from the sale of River Farm. These funds would create a sig- nificant endowment that has been the
BY KATHY JENTZ
Here is a round up of recent garden- related news releases and briefings in our region. American Horticultural Society to Sell River Farm In September, the board of the Amer- ican Horticultural Society (AHS) shared with its members the news that they were exploring the possibility of merg- ing with the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) and selling their River Farm property. In reaction, a Facebook group called “Stop the Sale” was formed and an online petition to “Save Historic River Farm” was started. After public outcry and reaction to the news, AHS Board Chair Terry Hayes wrote this update to AHS members in October: “Our goal has been to look at a va- riety of possibilities and identify the best solution that would allow for the continuation of our national program- ming during very difficult financial cir- cumstances for AHS. The solution has had to be proactive, deliberate, and dra- matic in the face of the pandemic and its effects on our revenue streams.
A mural at the Hopkins Community Park in SE, DC, created by local artists Mark Garrett and Dietrich Williams. Courtesy of Ayanah George Photography
in the future with an increased nation- al presence. Our mission demands that we seek opportunities [that] expand geographic accessibility and programs that resonate with diverse commu- nities across the United States from Alaska to Florida and from Maine to Hawaii.
We have greatly appreciated your outreach and input, which the AHS board has heard and taken to heart. The resounding sentiment has been that we are proud of AHS’s cen- tury long legacy and greatly desire to find a solution that allows our mis- sion—and the AHS name—to live on
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PATHWAYS—Spring 21—37
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