On the warm summer evening of July 17, UBC Botanical Garden welcomed back guests for our fourth BranchingOUT event. This gathering brought together over two hundred guests for a celebration of plants and Pride, to foster community and connection.
The fauna and flora in the garden came alive after hours and offered the chance to enjoy breathtaking views. Participants were able to explore playful and educational stations, relax under the forest canopy and stroll through the garden.
A highlight of the evening was the wide range of creative, hands-on activities and stations, which started after the initial greetings and speeches. Attendees discovered their ideal plant through a build-your-own-plant activity, identified their astrological tree at AstroloTREE and learned about badass plants. In Cures or Curses? guests learned about the complex history of medicinal and poisonous plants, while Campy Cultivars invited everyone to stamp their favourite flamboyant cultivar onto a collaborative tree art piece. Guests were also invited to step into a fantasy world at Tree n’ Tree, a short role-playing game featuring a cast of queer botanical heroes and learn more about drag queens and the plants that resembled them at Plants are a Drag.
Three self-guided education stations offered further space for reflection and learning. Queer Ecologies, TreePaul’s Drag Race, and the Botanical Reclamation Station explored queer histories and plant symbolism, creating meaningful connections between identity and ecology.
Throughout the evening, our incredible volunteers and horticultural team led these sassy stations. We were also joined by local creators and vendors who shared their ceramic pieces, jewelry, prints, and other works of art, adding even more colour and creativity to the evening. The Greenheart TreeWalk remained a popular destination and offered a shared moment of awe among the treetops, where guests were able to spot a Barred Owl.
We are grateful to everyone who helped make this evening special, from our hardworking staff and volunteers to the guests who joined us with open hearts and curious minds. Your participation helped us build a space where people could feel seen, valued, and inspired.
Proceeds and donations from this year’s event support UBC CampOUT!, a summer leadership camp for queer, trans, and Two-Spirit youth across BC and the Yukon. We are proud to continue this connection and thank our community for supporting this important initiative.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for BranchingOUT 2025. We look forward to seeing you again next year.
Written by:
Fernanda Munoz
Marketing & Communications Assistant
UBC Botanical Garden