for immediate release

Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center To Open

New facility to serve as international center for plant conservation
research and education

Media Only:
Gloria Ciaccio
(847) 835-6819, direct
gciaccio@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (August 26, 2009) — With a bold goal to “Save the Plants, Save the Planet,” the Chicago Botanic Garden has scheduled the opening of the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center for September 23, 2009. The 38,000-square-foot building will serve as a laboratory and research facility for the Garden’s staff of 31 full-time scientists and research assistants. With interns, graduate students, research associates and collaborators also using the facility, nearly 200 plant scientists will provide leadership on solutions for plant conservation problems caused by climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species and pollution.

"One-third of the world’s plants could become extinct in the next 50 years. This is more than a building; it represents the Garden’s commitment to solving plant conservation challenges through research and education. We depend on plants for food, clothing, shelter, fuel, medicine and oxygen,” said Sophia Siskel, president and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The Plant Science Center will feature dedicated teaching facilities and house the country’s first-ever doctoral program that focuses exclusively on plant biology and conservation, offered in partnership with Northwestern University. The first Ph.D. students have been accepted and will begin in fall 2009.

The building is designed to earn a gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Situated on 4.5-foot pillars, the building is surrounded by and built over a Rainwater Glen that will collect and filter stormwater runoff from the building and adjacent parking areas. A 16,000-square-foot green roof garden tops off the building. Inside, a visitor gallery is designed to provide Garden visitors with an insider’s view of the work of garden scientists. Interactive exhibit stations will line the viewing gallery, engaging visitors in the fascinating and diverse world of plants and inspiring them to get involved with plant conservation. Many of the exhibits explain the critical work scientists are carrying out in the adjacent nine research laboratories that are visible from the gallery.

Nine Research Laboratories
The following laboratories can be viewed from the visitor gallery:

Plant Systematics Laboratory—dedicated to the study and classification of plants, used for ecological research and restoration activities.
Population Biology Laboratory—houses the D&R Fund Growth Chambers, two environmental chambers with temperature, light and humidity controls, used to grow plants for experiments that require very specific environmental conditions and careful monitoring.
Abbott Ecology Laboratory—scientists will study ecosystems, water quality and other ecological factors important to restoring and managing native habitats.
Soil Laboratory—scientists will study the human impact on the intricate networks of soil, soil microorganisms and plants.
Dixon Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank Preparation Laboratory and Seed Bank—houses seeds from the tallgrass prairie region flora. The Garden is committed to collecting 30 million seeds from 1,500 native species. After seeds are collected, they are placed in the Dr. Scholl Foundation Seed Quarantine Chamber to ensure that no pests or diseases will infect the established collection.
Reproductive Biology Laboratory—scientists will study seed germination, pollination and the quantity of seeds produced by different species.
Harris Family Foundation Plant Genetics Laboratory—increases the Garden’s understanding of the genetics of rare and endangered plants, and how to better manage and preserve these plant communities.
Economic Botany Laboratory—examines the complex relationship between plants and people, exploring cultural uses of plants and determining potential applications for medicine or food.
Josephine P. & John J. Louis Foundation Microscopy and GIS Laboratory—houses several microscopes outfitted with digital cameras and analysis systems that will be used to examine plant anatomy, plant fossils, fungal specimens, and other samples, and serves as a Geographic Information System (GIS), made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation. GIS equipment uses satellite data, aerial maps and traditional maps to determine relationships, patterns, and trends. Plant locations, soil conditions and other environmental characteristics will be mapped to predict other locations where a species might occur or determine appropriate sites for plant restoration.

Green Roof Garden
The 16,000-square-foot Green Roof Garden will be accessible to the public via a grand staircase and feature an overlook with interpretive panels educating visitors about the benefits of green roof gardens. The Ellis Goodman Family Foundation Green Roof Garden South will feature regional and national native plants, many of which are not currently used as green roof plants; the Josephine P. & John J. Louis Foundation Green Roof Garden North will feature a mixture of natives and exotics and will demonstrate plants that are widely used in green roof gardens. Garden beds will cover half of the roof area, reducing the heat-island effect, decreasing heat and cooling costs, and helping to manage stormwater. Two hundred and eighty-eight solar panels will supply 5 percent of the building’s electricity and will be visible from the Green Roof Garden. All of the plants will be evaluated for their suitability for green roofs in similar climates by the Garden’s plant evaluation program. It will be open to the public during the Garden’s operating hours.

Woman’s Board Rainwater Glen and Footbridge
The Rainwater Glen garden surrounds the building and will function like a river’s floodplain. It will hold back stormwater runoff, allowing deep-rooted native plants to facilitate absorption and help filter impurities. The Rainwater Glen will contribute to improved water quality at the Garden and, importantly, in each of the ecosystems it will eventually flow through. The entrance to the Plant Science Center is defined by a 40-foot-long gently sloping bridge over the Rainwater Glen, with benches and planters integrated in the bridge design.

The Visitor Gallery
The center of the building is designed as a grand gallery that runs the length of the Plant Science Center and climbs two stories to a height of 25 feet. Clerestory windows fill the space with natural light. Ribbon windows line the gallery along the first floor, allowing visitors to see Garden scientists at work.

Interactive Exhibits
Eight interactive exhibits explain the essential role plants play in everyday life and the critical role garden scientists are playing to preserve and better manage natural plant communities. Each of the interactive exhibits relates to the work of a specific laboratory in the Plant Science Center. Touch screens will teach scientific concepts through video game-like simulations. Visitors can manipulate an environment—create flowers to attract pollinators or drive a tiny camera to drill below the surface of the earth—and see the outcome of their actions. In front of the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank Preparation Laboratory, the exhibit will explain how and why seeds are banked and what role they will play in the restoration and conservation of native prairies in the Midwest.

Toward a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating from the U.S. Green Building Council
Sustainable features of the Plant Science Center underscore the Chicago Botanic Garden’s commitment to protecting the environment. Features include the following:

Twenty percent recycled materials were used in the construction of the building, including trees that were removed from the site and reused as planters and library shelving, and flooring that was made from recycled tires and pop bottles.
Energy efficiency is achieved through lighting, mechanical equipment, insulation of exterior walls and roof, windows with Low-E and high-performance glass, and air-lock vestibules at all entrances.
Natural daylight underscores harmony between human activity within the building and the natural world outside, which research has shown improves productivity and job satisfaction.

The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center is the anchor for a 15-acre science campus, to be developed over the next 10 years at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Corporate support for the Plant Science Center has been provided by Baxter International, The Abbott Fund, and Underwriters Laboratories Inc.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. A program of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest is an organic vegetable and plant production enterprise that provides instruction in sustainable horticulture and urban agriculture to residents of Chicago’s North Lawndale and West Side neighborhoods.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). The Chicago Botanic Garden is also host to Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., and a member of the Center for Plant Conservation. In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.