Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

"Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration."
- Lou Erickson

Mission Statement

The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens inspires, beautifies and enriches the greater High Plains community through gardening, volunteerism, education, and stewardship.

This is accomplished through these focus areas:

• Plants- Exhibit diverse plant collections and landscapes.
• Service and therapy- Provides meaningful opportunities for seniors, handicapped and youth-at-risk volunteers who are essential in growing the Gardens.

Education and Outreach- Provides educational and therapeutic opportunities. Providing learning opportunities in the subjects of landscaping, gardening, science, history, renewable energy and sustainable solutions.

Report and Data for the Year Ending 2011

• 1977 Doors first opened to the public as the "Cheyenne Community Solar Greenhouse," located east of town.
• 1986 The Botanic Gardens current facility was constructed in Lions Park and was incorporated into the City of Cheyenne Parks and Recreation Department.
• $494,305 approx. annual City budget in FY 2010-??11.
• $545,000 approx. annual Foundation Expenditures 2010-??11.
• 36,544 Visitors to the main Botanic Garden grounds (all 50 states and 24 foreign countries).
• 34,947 Visitors to the Paul Smith Children's Village.
• 380 Visitors to the High Plains Arboretum.
• 71,491 Total Cheyenne Botanic Gardens visitors.
• 31 Reserved uses at the Paul Smith Children's Village.
• 14 Grounds uses at the Paul Smith Children's Village.
• 6,338 Total volunteer hours (mainly senior, youth and handicapped individuals) in 2011.
• 191 individuals Volunteered in 2011 (primarily senior, youth and handicapped individuals).
• 29 Weddings at the Gardens with approximately 2,080 attendees.
• 135 Tours organized and school-??based provided to approximately 3781 attendees.
• 54 Reserved uses of the greenhouse conservatory meeting room representing approximately 883 people.
• 185 Educational programs to 2202 attendees.
• 14 Grounds uses (not counting weddings).
• 2,393 Pounds of produce grown and distributed to senior volunteers and nutrition programs.
• 60 Gardening call-??in radio programs aired per year on KFBC and KGAB.
• 365 Garden & home tips published daily in Wyo. Tribune/?Eagle and Casper Star/?Tribune newspapers.
• 740 members in the The Friends of the Botanic Garden membership program.

50,000 Bedding plants grown from seed for city parks beautification. Approx. 80 beds planted in city parks, parkways, downtown depot and public buildings.

6.5 FT staff: Director-??Shane Smith, Assist. Director-??Claus Johnson; Development Director- Riana Perez, Head of Horticulture -Steve Scott, Aaron Sommers- Education Director, Jessica Friss Asist. Education Director and Office Manager Trudy Fox. There were up to 4 temporary and/?or part-??time paid staff including 3 summer interns.

Special events for 2011: Superday in Lions Park, Goblin Walk, the Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power Summer of Power Series featuring Shakespeare performance, and 15 other educational events, 1,000 Faces of Santa, Mad Hatter Tea Party, Book Fair.

Renewable Energy: The 6,800 square-??foot greenhouse conservatory is passively solar heated and 50% solar powered. The Children's Village utilizes passive solar heat, active solar heat, solar electricity, wind turbine electricity, wind and solar powered water pumping.

• 9.1 acres of grounds that include a number of specialty gardens, water features and more!
• 62 Acres of grounds at High Plains Arboretum (under development).
• 600 Plus garden books and over 2,500 catalogs and periodicals available to public in the CBG library.

Awards received: President Ronald Reagan, Exemplary Volunteer Program, 1986; President George Bush, Point of Light Award, 1990; Harvard Loeb Fellowship to Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Director, Shane Smith, 1989 - 1990; Partners for Livable Communities, American Entrepreneurial Leadership Award, 1994; Community Hero Award Governor Jim Geringer, 1996; Award of Merit 2011 to Director Shane Smith.

Governance and management: The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens is a division of the City of Cheyenne Parks and Recreation Department. The non-??profit Friends of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Foundation provides major funding for landscape planning and construction, staff education and volunteer support along with advocacy.

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