Scottsdale Blog - Things to do in Scottsdale, Arizona » Desert Botanical Garden

Green by Design Awards Celebrates Eco-Friendly Business Practices

Josh Kenzer — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:25:28 +0000

The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau revealed the winners of the Green by Design Awards at its Quarterly Update Meeting on Nov. 3 as part of its sustainability initiatives. Orange Tree Golf Resort, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, Desert Botanical Garden and O’Neil Printing were recognized for exhibiting outstanding sustainability practices.

The Scottsdale bureau acknowledged participants in three categories: Green, Greener and Greenest. The Green category recognizes businesses that created green projects, programs or campaigns; while the Greener designation is awarded for improvements on pre-existing efforts. The Greenest category is for companies that practice both green initiatives and offer green products or services.

GREEN AWARD WINNER
Orange Tree Golf Resort won in the Green category for installing a solar water heating system, which dramatically reduces natural gas emissions, for use in their on-site laundry and housekeeping area as well as for 20 guest rooms. It is estimated that the resort will decrease their associated natural gas bill by 50 percent and eliminate approximately 100 tons of carbon emissions annually. In six months, the company hopes to expand this green practice to all guest rooms.

GREENER AWARD WINNER
The Greener award was given to the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch for its ongoing improvement of green practices. The resort’s most recent sustainable projects include a 12,000-square-foot solar hot water system and the installation of a “cool roof” system. Thus far, the Hyatt has achieved proven results from the solar hot water system of up to a 41 percent reduction of natural gas within a given month. They are now serving as a model for other Hyatt properties.

GREENEST AWARD WINNERS
Two leading companies were recognized with the Greenest award – the Desert Botanical Garden and O’Neil Printing. The Desert Botanical Garden implemented a wide array of recycling and waste reduction programs not only to reduce their waste but also to help educate the public and act as a voice in the community. The Garden’s composting of green waste is eliminating around 180 tons of waste from a landfill annually. In addition, they offer numerous programs and classes to the public, an increasing number of which relate to sustainability.

O’Neil Printing strives to maintain an eco-friendly environment within the workplace and helps clients decrease their carbon footprint by providing eco-sustainable products and coaching clients toward greener options. According to an O’Neil recycling partner, in the second quarter of 2009 alone, O’Neil’s recycling program saved 2,157 trees, nearly 900 thousand gallons of water, almost 50 thousand gallons of fuel, over one-half million kilowatt hours of electricity and almost 400 cubic yards of landfill space.

“The Scottsdale bureau is proud to recognize these companies working to preserve our environment,” said Vice President of Marketing Lauren Simons. “The Green by Design Award winners have shown their dedication to enriching our community and protecting our future.”

A total of 14 companies submitted for the Green by Design Awards, including: Bio Waste Systems for Food Waste Separation and Collection, Dixon Golf, Enterprise Technology Services, Grayhawk Golf Club, i-o Data Centers, John’s Refrigeration, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa, PlanetEarthPromotions.com, Thunderbird Artists and Symfonic Marketing.

Celebrate Spooky Scottsdale Events this Halloween

Whitney Willis — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:45:23 +0000

With Halloween less than a week away, it’s time to start looking at all of the spooktacular events that Scottsdale has to offer.

Start out the Halloween season by visiting the Desert Botanical Garden’s 8^th annual Great Pumpkin Festival Oct. 22-Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Experience a weekend festival that brings the true feel of autumn to the desert. The Great Pumpkin Festival comes to life with pumpkins, hayrides, country-western entertainment and carnival games. Don’t miss the hay bale maze and the Arizona Big Train Operators’ interactive exhibit. All activities are included with Garden admission. Prices are $15 for adults, $13.50 for seniors, $7.50 for students ages 13-18 with proper I.D., $5 for children ages three to 12 and children three and under are free.

Halloween Day festivities begin 10 a.m. and continue through 5:30 p.m. as Adelante Gallery at el Pedregal celebrates the Dia De Los Muertos holiday featuring Day of the Dead Art and Imagery by four local artists and festive live music by Louis Castro on the courtyard stage. View unique, hand-crafted works of art such as paintings, custom-made sugar skulls and jewelry showing the holiday’s famous skeletons. Specialty margaritas will be available in addition to homemade “Pan de Muertos” (Day of the Dead Bread) by Chef Christine Wieland. Admission is free.

And to finish off your spooky night, attend The Fairmont Scottsdale’s Haunted Hotel Halloween Ball at Stone Rose Lounge. Starting at 9 p.m. on Oct. 31 Scottsdale’s most sophisticated Halloween event begins featuring music, classic cocktails, celebrity guests and the Valley’s best costume contest with a variety of cash and prizes. The Haunted Hotel Halloween Ball in partnership with 944 Magazine offers a lavish twist on classic Halloween festivities with a decadent “Haunted Hotel” theme hosted by one of Scottsdale’s hottest outdoor nightlife destinations. Fortunetellers and tarot card readers will entertain partygoers throughout the evening along with a surprise live act by performance artists, and the best part is – admission is free!

Desert Botanical Garden works to preserve the Sonoran Desert

Kelly Tope — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:56:22 +0000

Since 1939, the Desert Botanical Garden has been home to one of the finest and most diverse collections of succulent plants, including rare, threatened and endangered species from around the Southwest. It is the only botanical garden in the world whose mission, from its early inception, was to focus solely on desert plants and one of only a few whose collections comprise a library, herbarium, living specimens and rare and endangered plants.

Mrs. Gertrude Divine Webster, an environmentalist ahead of her time, founded the Desert Botanical Garden in 1939. Mrs. Webster, in conjunction with a small group of Valley citizens, gathered in Papago Park to create a botanical garden whose precepts would encourage an understanding, appreciation and promotion of the uniqueness of the world’s deserts, particularly the Sonoran Desert. They foresaw the Valley’s potential and unique identity, envisioning the need to conserve their beautiful desert environment. The Desert Botanical Garden, since its inception in 1939, continues to be a testament to their vision.

The Desert Botanical Garden sits on 145 acres and has more than 50,000 plants on display including a Living Collection (including more than 21,000 accessioned plants) and a Rare and Endangered Collection (including more than 328 seeds and 213 plants). Through the research department’s partnership with educational institutions and government agencies, research staff is working to ensure the plants of the Sonoran Desert are conserved and preserved for generations to come.

The Garden acts with the environment as its priority and is continually implementing best practices to achieve this – a task that is never truly complete. As new information and technologies become available, the Garden will evaluate and if feasible, implement these practices. Current initiatives include energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling and composting.

Energy Use

Using renewable energy to meet 100% of the Garden’s electricity needs. Solar panels on Dorrance Hall supply up to 8% of these needs
Started to changing incandescent light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lights and other lower-energy bulbs.
Staff turns off monitors each night and computer updates have been moved to a mid-week time frame.

Water Use
The Garden’s utilization of native landscaping assists in minimizing water usage.

Recycling

The Garden recycles #1 & #2 plastics, paper, cardboard, aluminum, steel and glass. Receptacles have bee installed throughout the Garden that separate waste and recyclable materials.
Four out of six of print vendors use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.
All copy machine default settings are for double-sided printing.
Encouraging catering companies to be environmentally conscious encouraging reusable, recyclable, or decomposable materials whenever possible.

Composting
The Garden delivers all green waste for composting to Singh Farms. In addition, the Garden purchases this compost for use in the Garden.

If you are interested in learning more about sustainability, the Garden teaches the community sustainable environmental practices through educational programs and outreach and the Desert Landscaper School, which focuses on xeriscape and native plants. Come check out the beauty of Desert Botanical Garden – you’ll see not only the unique flora of the Sonoran Desert, but how the Garden is working to preserve that environment!

Things to do in Scottsdale, Arizona

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:41:16 +0000

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sminor/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Scottsdale offers a wide range of activities and attractions for the most discerning of visitors. Here are a few of the best things to do in Scottsdale, Arizona. Click on each one to read more information about it.

Old Town Scottsdale
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West
Scottsdale Museum Of Contemporary Art
McDowell Sonoran Conservancy
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
Cosanti Foundation
Scottsdale Arts District
Pinnacle Peak Patio
The Heard Museum
Desert Botanical Garden

Fall Events Flourish at Desert Botanical Garden

Josh Kenzer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:44:48 +0000

Take me to your leader, originally uploaded by AshSLO.

The Desert Botanical Garden gives visitors new ways to enjoy Mother Nature with its fall calendar of events. The Garden’s schedule includes old favorites such as the Fall Music in the Garden Series that brings live jazz, blues and Latin music under the desert stars, as well as new offerings like the Biergarten, a one-time event set for Sept. 25 where guests savor more than 40 craft and domestic brews in an outdoor setting. Also returning to the Garden is Spiked! Thursdays, melding themed cocktails and desert scenery, and The Great Pumpkin Festival, where families can take a hayride out to the Garden’s patch to choose their very own pumpkin. Spiked! will take place every Thursday from Oct. 1 thru Nov. 5, and the Pumpkin Festival will run Oct. 22-29.

Arizona Highways Magazine’s Chihuly: The Nature of Glass Photo Contest

Josh Kenzer — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:03:49 +0000

Submit your best photographs of Dale Chihuly’s stunning and unique glass sculptures from the current Desert Botanical Garden exhibit, Chihuly: The Nature of Glass and become eligible to win an Arizona Highways Photo Workshop from Friends of Arizona Highways.

Enter Now

Pictures from the Chihuly Exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden

Josh Kenzer — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:24:01 +0000

Chihuly: The Nature of Glass

April 20 – May 04
Recurring weekly on Sunday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Times: See website for details
Location: Desert Botanical Garden
Phone: (480) 481-8188
Admission: See website for details

Renowned artist Dale Chihuly will be presenting Chihuly: The Nature of Glass, featuring new and unique works of glass artfully located throughout the Garden. His work is immediately recognizable for its grand scale and vibrant colors.

Festival ArtWalk is “A Glass Act”

Katarina Kovacevic — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:02:01 +0000

Scottsdale is throwing a joint celebration for two of its longest-running arts events – the Scottsdale ArtWalk and the 39th Annual Scottsdale Arts Festival. Together, the events are presenting the Glass Act Festival ArtWalk on Thursday, March 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. in downtown Scottsdale. The Arts Festival kicks off the following day and runs through March 22 on the nearby grounds of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

A Glass Act will feature more than a dozen top glass artists from the Scottsdale Arts District galleries and this year’s Arts Festival. Those featured include Lisa Chernoff at Occasions! by Design, Kathleen Doherty in the Textures Gallery at artspace, Carole Perry at Duley Jones Gallery, Tsunami glasswork at LeKae gallery and more. In addition to the special ArtWalk event, the Desert Botanical Garden will partner with Ultimate Art & Cultural Tours to offer guests a half-day glass art tour for $65 which includes a behind-the-scenes look into the stunning Chihuly: The Nature of Glass exhibit in the Garden followed by exclusive receptions with glass artists at three of downtown Scottsdale’s prominent galleries. The tour will take place on March 19 from 1 to 7 p.m. and include transportation.

A Glass Act Festival ArtWalk also will boast a diverse musical lineup including the eclectic Watershade, folk-rocker Jeordie, jazz by Actual Proof Trio, original classical pianist Elijah Bossenbroek and the Soliloquies singer-songwriter area with some of ArtWalk’s favorite street performers. Guests also can sample great tastes from culinary sponsors like Café Carumba, Icelandic Glacial Waters, Malee’s Thai on Main and more.

Desert Botanical Garden Luminaries and Chihuly Exhibit

Josh Kenzer — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:49:34 +0000

D. Patrick Lewis created an awesome montage of his recent visit to the Desert Botanical Garden. Please enjoy the photos and get out to see this awesome display.

Las Noches de las Luminarias

Katarina Kovacevic — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:00:30 +0000

Whether you’re a longtime supporter or new fan of Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden, make sure you get over there this holiday season. For more than 30 years, the event has been a must-see Scottsdale tradition but its combination with the whimsical Chihuly: The Nature of Glass exhibit has elevated the renowned event to a whole new level.

The Garden is brought to new life with the juxtaposition of natural Sonoran Desert tones and vibrant hues of the glass pieces. Picture-perfect contrasts make the Garden a photographers dream and in addition to the standard exhibits, the event boasts a wide variety of entertainment at various stops in the trail. From harp players to fiddlers, the Garden is energized with melodic holiday sounds and sights. Guests can nosh on treats provided by Fabulous Food Catering, sample wines, or delight in a warm cup of cocoa or apple cider. It’s a great place to pick up some last-minute holiday gifts, too!