On Sunday, April 26th, UBC Botanical Garden and TEALEAVES presented a virtual screening of the co-produced documentary film “The Garden of Scerets” followed by a moderated discussion with experts in botany and design. “The Garden of Secrets” explores the evolving role of botanical gardens in offering valuable ideas for tackling engineering and environmental challenges.
The guest experts included Tori Dunstall, Dean of Design at Ontario College of Art and Design University; Douglas Justice, Associate Director, Horticulture & Collections at UBC Botanical Garden; and Patrick Lewis, Director at UBC Botanical Garden.
The event celebrated Earth Month and the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day as the guests experts discussed the importance of our relationship to nature and how we can learn from plants to improve our lives and futures.
The success of the virtual event exceeded expectations – a strong sign that during these isolating times, many people miss nature and sustained connections to the environment. Thank you to the featured guests and to all viewers for spending time to think and discuss the value of plants in the contemporary society, particularly in light of the ongoing pandemic.
If you missed the Tea & Talk screening and moderated discussion, you can watch it below.
I watched the rescreening of the “Secrets of Nature” and enjoyed it very much. I’m amazed at the “secrets” and the amount we’ve got to learn, so from that perspective your film was inspirational. However, this seems to be a case of preaching to the choir – I’m one of the many who don’t need to be convinced about how special they are. The film has a message emphasizing the importance of not allowing the extinction of our plants; what I am keen to learn is how we can convert indifferent or even destructive thinking (often profit-based). I suspect this is beyond the discussion of the plant and design experts and might move to social scientists to take us from the “what,” to the “so, what next?”