A History of Education at Fairchild:A 50-Year-Old Tradition of Formal Botanical Education, and an Even Older Traditional of Informal Education

摘要

Education has always been an important part of Fairchild's mission. As we celebrate our 80th year, I set out to understand when this tradition of sharing our knowledge and love of plants began.As early as 1939, just one year after the Garden opened its doors to the public, Dr. David Fairchild was asked to stage an education exhibit in the , "Gardens on Parade" at the World's Fair in New York. Dr. Fairchild worked to curate an exhibit onpalms and develop education content. In a letter from Fairchild to Col. Robert Montgomery dated April 8, 1939, Fairchild wrote, "I could think of nothing more dramatically beautiful than such an exhibit, which would allow visitors to understand the beauty and importance of palms, beyond being houseplants." The educational material he created included handwritten signage with each palm's common and scientific name, as well as stories of why these plants were important.