Backup Documents 11/13/2018 Item # 4E 4E
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, in 2018, Naples Botanical Garden earned the highly prestigious Museum
Excellence Award from the Florida Association of Museums; and,
WHEREAS, this annual award is given to a museum for their outstanding contributions
to the museum profession and cultural landscape in the State of Florida;
and,
WHEREAS, Naples Botanical Garden is the only botanical garden in the state to win
the Museum Excellence Award, going from opening to award-winning in
only eight years; and,
WHEREAS, Hurricane Irma caused significant damage to Naples Botanical Garden,
destroying more than a third of its plant collections, and downing some
500 trees, nearly 300 of which perished, leaving staff and volunteers to
work tirelessly to raise the trees that could be saved, replanting what
had a chance at survival, and clearing threatening debris; and,
WHEREAS, three weeks to the day after the storm, with its public areas tidy and
safe, the Garden reopened with free admission to the public, welcoming
nearly 2,000 visitors on October 1, 2017; and,
WHEREAS, the Garden's leadership formed the Replant and Regrow Campaign to meet
the more than $1 million in recovery costs to date, including collecting
plants from and trading with more than 35 institutions and botanical
gardens in the United States and the Caribbean.
NOW THEREFORE, be it proclaimed by the Board of County Commissioners of Collier
County, Florida, that we honor Naples Botanical Garden for its receipt
of the prestigious Museum Excellence Award from the Florida Association
of Museums and its unwavering dedication to recovering the garden from
the ravages of Hurricane Irma.
DONE AND ORDERED THIS 13th Day of November 2018.
)l BOARD OF C9 NTY CO 4MISSIONERS
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ANDY SOLIS, ROFAIRMA
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