President Contreras and administrators posing
Ribbon cutting
Students with a "Biology" tri-fold
Students checking out the Botanical garden

San Bernardino Valley College students, faculty, and staff gathered on April 24 to celebrate the reopening of the SBVC Botanical Gardens, described by Interim Dean of Science Lorrie Burnham as a “living laboratory.”

The remodeling of the gardens was necessary due to construction on the Applied Technology Building, and new features include more walking paths for visitors; extended interpretive signage; a propagation site for growing native plants; and a bee hotel.

“With spring comes renewal, and renewal is a reopening of a true signature of San Bernardino Valley College,” President Gilbert Contreras said during the ribbon cutting.

The gardens, open since 2016, are home to more than 40 species of plants, most of which are native to the area. Species include drought-tolerant sages, fire-adapted shrubs, plants used by native Californians, and “living fossils” like dawn redwoods and ferns. Insects, birds, lizards, and other animals also live in the gardens, and there is a pond where students collect microorganisms to study.

"It’s about the students seeing themselves through and engaging in science," Professor Tatiana Vasquez, who curated the gardens with Professor Thomas Lechuga, said. Lechuga agreed, calling the space "a resource and a hub in this urban environment."

Learn more about the SBVC Botanical Gardens at www.sbvcbotanicalgardens.org