Vision, Mission, & Values
Our Vision
Embracing 91传媒's special obligation to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, we will connect people and plants by igniting curiosity and a sense of wonder.
Our Mission
A University Garden:
Our passion and motivation is cultivating dynamic research, teaching and learning, and public engagement, making us an indispensable resource for the University.
A Botanical Garden:
Our hallmark will be excellence in horticulture, plant conservation, and environmental sustainability.
A Community Space:
We are the keepers and champions of the Province's flora, protecting and sharing this knowledge in a beautiful space where learning is fun, where plants are exciting, where everyone wants to visit.
Our Values
Sense of Place:
We foster a sense of place, that sense of place special to Newfoundland and Labrador, taking pride in our designed and natural spaces, collections, and displays.
Sustainability:
We will act in a manner that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable in our operations, academic, research, and community programs.
The Environment:
We put nature first. Learning, sharing knowledge, protecting plants and habitats is key to good stewardship and conservation and vital for the health of our community.
Connections:
We want to engage, learn, and share knowledge. We seek meaningful connections with local, provincial, national, and international scholarship. We want to connect with our visitors, they are important, as are awe-inspiring experiences and exceptional customer service.
Experimentation:
We are ready to be challenged, to embrace and drive change.
Our History
Work to create a botanical garden started on May 15, 1971 as part of the Biology department at 91传媒. It took 6 years to undertake a massive cleanup of debris, old car wrecks, oil tanks, and leftover stumps from a 1961 fire, not to mention plan various display gardens. The original intent that still holds true was to create a display of native and cultivated plants suitable to the local climate and to provide access to a number of habitats through a system of trails. Since officially opening to the public on July 12, 1977, the original Oxen Pond Botanic Park has grown from 4 acres to the 91传媒 Botanical Garden encompassing 110 acres today.
Timeline of Our Gardens:
Alpine House: 1991
Asian Garden: 2012 (was originally the White Garden).
Compost Demonstration Area: 2005
Cottage Garden: late 1970s, renovated many times
Crevice Garden (old): 2009 (located behind the potager garden)
Crevice Garden (new): 2023 (located on the corner of the sandstone rock garden)
Potager Garden: 2014, originally the Dried Flower Garden, built in 1995-1996
Public Greenhouse: early 1970s
Heritage Garden: late 1970s
Medicinal Garden: 2002 (no longer active)
New Plant Showcase: 2012 (no longer active)
Nursery: 1999
Peat Beds: early 80s
Perennial Border: 1973, renovated several times since
Pollinator Garden & Chalet: 1993 (first named the Wildlife Friendly Garden)
Rhododendron Border: 1989
Rhododendron Garden & Ground Cover Display: 2015
Rock Garden: original Sandstone Rock Garden was built in 1975, with an expansion including a Limestone Rock Garden added in 1992
Shade Garden: 2000
Sunken Garden: 2025 (in location of old medicinal garden)
Teaching/Children's Garden: 2015 (no longer active)
Trough Collection: On display since 2014
Trough Garden: 2017
Vegetable Garden: 1970s, renovated with raised beds in 1997
Woodland Beds: early 1980s - Drastically replanted after storm damage in 2021
Below is a link to the digital archives at MUN in which a video tour of the Garden was done in 1982.
The History of our Location
Previous to the Garden's inception, our site was a cottage settlement and a popular swimming hole.
The link below is an article on the Intangible Cultural Heritage website about the historic wells and springs that are on the Garden's property.
Have a memory to share? Can you add to our history? We'd love to hear from you at garden@mun.ca.