Brian Holley, CEO of The Naples Botanical Garden, informed as well as entertained at our speaker's meeting today. Brian has a long resume which include stints as Executive Director of The Cleveland Gardens and served in many prestigious international panels in his field.
Brian brought a slide presentation showing before and after pictures of The Naples Garden. He gave the history of the Naples Gardens beginnings as incorporating 20 years ago and after land acquisitions and fund raising, construction began in earnest a little over 5 years ago.
When the great recession began, the projected 50 million needed for the project fell short, so temporary buildings are in place until enough money is raised to build more permanent buildings. An army of over 700 volunteers and 45 paid workers maintain the grounds and care for the extensive plantings which are mostly native to the region. Also many plants have been imported to complete this beautiful place.
Brian answered many questions and urged us to visit the Naples Garden which is open daily. If you wish to have a guided tour, they begin at 11 am daily. Volunteers from all walks of life make these tours possible.
Our next speaker's presentation will be given by our own resident, Dennis Smith. Dr. Smith has an extensive resume in molecular biology and biochemistry. He is the former President of University of Nebraska and will talk to us on April 12th on Stem Cell Technology.
