Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) announces the appointment of Melanie Sifton as vice president of Horticulture and Facilities, filling a key leadership position focused on the the stewardship of the 52-acre Garden.
Prior to joining BBG, Sifton was director of the Humber Arboretum and the Centre for Urban Ecology in Toronto, where she applied her experience in sustainable horticulture to the management of a complex 250-acre site. At Humber, Sifton was responsible for the development and curation of plant collections, indoor and outdoor landscape maintenance, and capital improvements, as well as for educational programming, fundraising, and research.
“We are very pleased to welcome Ms. Sifton to lead BBG’s horticulture and facilities team, and look forward to her efforts in stewarding BBG’s diverse collections and iconic buildings and landscapes;” noted Scot Medbury, president of BBG. “Her experience and knowledge will serve the Garden particularly well during this transformative time, as BBG’s Campaign for the Next Century helps create four new acres of new and expanded gardens, enhances water conservation and other sustainability measures, and further strengthens BBG’s value as a resource for urban gardening education.”
“I am passionate about urban public horticulture and sincerely dedicated to landscape sustainability in all its fascinating complexity,” Sifton said. “Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an internationally respected model of urban gardening, and I am delighted to support its goal to become even greener in the years to come.” Sifton received a master degree in public garden leadership from Cornell University, a diploma in horticulture from the Niagara Parks Commission, and a bachelor of arts from McGill University, in addition to numerous other certifications in various horticultural operations and disciplines.
She was a frequent visitor to the Garden when she lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn, from 1997 to 1999 and credits it with nurturing her zeal for urban horticulture. Sifton will begin work at the Garden in mid-July. About Brooklyn Botanic Garden Founded in 1910, Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is an independent nonprofit institution committed to education, research, and the display of horticulture. Situated on 52 acres in the heart of Brooklyn, the Garden is home to over 12,000 kinds of plants and hosts more than 725,000 visitors annually. Learn more at bbg.org.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Garden is closed on Mondays except public holidays. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens (65 and older) and students with ID. Children under 12, all school groups, and Garden members are admitted free at all times. For directions, please visit bbg.org/visit/directions.
Learn what’s happening at Brooklyn Botanic Garden at bbg.org/visit/calendar, read the Garden’s blog at bbg.org/news, and see photos of current highlights at bbg.org/bloom.
