I couldn’t help noticing the juxtaposition this morning:
First, the Washington Post editorial A Downtrodden Mall – America’s front yard desperately needs sprucing up. A lack of funding and deferred maintenance have left Pierre L’Enfant’s “vast esplanade” looking pretty shabby. “[T]rampled grass, decaying sidewalks, crumbling foundations and scum-filled ponds … mar this special place.”
But good luck getting funding to fix that special place, if the federal budget is anything like we face here in New York.
This morning’s New York Times warns: Proposed Budget Shuts Out Zoos, Aquariums and Gardens.
[N]ext fiscal year, which starts in April, state financing for all 76 zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums would be eliminated under Gov. David A. Paterson’s proposed budget. This after a 55 percent reduction this fiscal year — a move that was made only last month, surprising many organizations so late in the fiscal year.
Endowments and other funding sources for public gardens and the like aren’t looking real good either. Perhaps a surge in volunteerism will pick up some of the ‘resource shortage’ that looms. But that can only go so far.
Yes, it is a sad statement of how desperate times are becoming.
Or how low public gardens are on our priority list.
I understand how hard the choices must be, but these decisions say so much about where our culture is today.
Maybe the botanical gardens could take a lesson from some of the lower maintenance practices of various naturalistic gardening approaches – such as those being used in Germany – and preserve some land in use at less cost until times improve. That might even provide some helpful public education in sustainable gardening. Wishful thinking… institutions don’t easily change long-established missions.
Goodness. I do hope real efforts are made to maintain things, lest America starts to look like a decrepit third world country. The way JFK airport and parts of New York do.
All of these institutions have weathered such storms before. I am optimistic that they will again. We’re actually increasing funding for our parks here in Buff. Other nearby greenspaces are getting some funding from the power plant recertification.
Too, it depends on how faithful a following the gardens in question have.