NY Botanical Garden Celebrates Grand Opening of the Everett Children’s Garden Gate
By Liza Young
A ceremony celebrating the opening of the Everett Garden Gate at the NY Botanical Garden was recently held with expressions of excitement and gratitude by key members of the Botanical Garden and governmental officials.
The brainchild of Gregory Long, President of the NY Botanical Garden, the Everett Garden came to fruition through the philanthropic support and dedication of Edith and Henry Everett, opening approximately ten years ago. The 12-acre Garden is a nurturing and rich science learning environment for children. The newly designed gate provides a more accommodating passage for entrance and exit, easing congestion, and includes additionally needed restrooms.
The celebration of the opening of the gate fittingly began with the singing of “America the Beautiful” by Karen Everett, daughter-in-law of Edith Everett.
Speaking at the ceremony, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. underscored the opening of the Everett Garden Gate as culturally and economically beneficial for the city. It will attract residents and tourists, aligning with the recent campaign announced by the mayor, together with NYC & Company, to increase tourism to NYC. NY City Council member David Weprin, who is also Chairman of the NYC Council Finance Committee, shared President Carrion’s view on the value the Everett Garden will bring to the city.
Julie Sakellariadis, Chairperson of the Education Committee of the NY Botanical Garden, highlighted the work of the Everett family in building the garden into a “wildly successful and highly acclaimed program loved by NYC school teachers and school children and many families who visit on their own.” She recalled her visits to the Garden with her four children, and attributes her daughter’s—a college sophomore—choice to major in environmental science to visits to the Garden. Her daughter came to “love everything green.”
Edith Everett, currently Honorary Chairperson of the Education Committee of the NY Botanical Garden, is also a former school teacher and successful Wall Street businesswoman. Eloquently speaking at the ceremony, she described the garden as a “place of beauty where children are learning some of the basic lessons of science, engage in wonderful interactive lessons, and also have a great time.” The lessons learned at the garden are in fact based on the NY State mandated science curriculum. Three thousand teachers are trained each year at the Garden to improve science teaching in the classroom. The gate is dedicated to Edith’s husband, Henry Everett, who passed away several years ago, and was truly dedicated to the enhancement of the Garden.
Senator Jose Serrano current chair for the Democratic Task Force on the Arts and Cultural affairs, and a lifelong resident of the Bronx, described the garden as “something more than aesthetically pleasing, but crucial to the vibrancy of our city and future of our economy.”#
