Michigan State University’s W.J. Beal Botanical Garden is officially internationally recognized.
The garden recently earned accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conversation International, or BCGI, a UK-based membership organization representing botanic gardens in more than 100 countries around the world with the goal of linking the gardens together in a global network for plant conservation.
With BGCI accreditation, Beal Botanical Garden joins an accomplished group of just over 100 international botanical gardens that have demonstrated success in conservation of plant species, inspiring people, sharing knowledge and addressing global challenges. Beal Botanical Garden is the first and only BGCI-accredited garden in Michigan. The BCGI recognition marks the first time the botanical garden has earned accreditation in its 152-year history.
“MSU is home to world-class cultural institutions with collections that serve as vital infrastructure for research, teaching and public engagement,” said Judith Stoddart, vice provost for University Arts and Collections. “This prestigious international recognition underlines the ways that the Beal Botanical Garden team continues to innovate and reimagine its historic mission as a living laboratory for campus and community.”
Established in 1873, the W.J. Beal Botanical Garden is the oldest continuously operated university botanical garden in the United States and is listed on the Michigan State Register of Historic Places. With a collection of over 2,000 plants from around the globe situated in the heart of MSU’s campus along the Red Cedar River, the garden is a space that supports research, teaching, well-being and public engagement.
The purpose of accreditation is to place a high value on the unique skills, knowledge and research that happens in botanical gardens around the world and ensure that plant conservation is at the center of this work. As part of the multifaceted accreditation process, the garden had to demonstrate that it met a global standard of excellence in its operations through peer evaluation.
Katie Fry, collections manager at the garden, led the team’s accreditation effort.
“The most important thing to me about achieving BGCI accreditation is that it formalizes the garden’s commitment and accountability to the highest standards of documenting, understanding, growing and caring for plant diversity,” Fry said. “Simply put, we are working to make our world a better place. We are doing this through conservation, education and connecting people with nature.”
Beal Botanical Garden demonstrated its interconnectedness and teamwork to BGCI through its new five-year strategic plan, completed in 2023. This document highlights the garden’s shared values and guides the garden’s efforts working with partners both inside and outside of the university.
In 2024, garden team members reimagined their plant collections through a new collections policy, including a new rewilding initiative, which emphasizes supporting regional native plant biodiversity. The policy encourages public input and the incorporation of community voices into the garden as well as shared cultural stories within their world-class plant collection, illustrating the complexity of the relationship between plants and people.
The garden also exhibited its commitment to supporting the campus community by expanding educational programming, enhancing its Nurture Your Roots well-being program, and establishing a new internship program to support and engage undergraduate students at MSU in paid, professional and hands-on learning opportunities.
“BGCI accreditation is a great accomplishment and validates the efforts of the Beal Botanical Garden team in expanding our work in conservation, sustainability, well-being, as well as supporting research and education efforts on campus and beyond,” said Beal Botanical Garden Director Alan Prather. “The honor of this recognition of the garden not only raises the international profile of MSU with regard to conservation and sustainability, but it also encourages more partnerships across the university and around the globe.”
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