Contact
Wendy Hollender for more Info:

Phone: 212-580-4855
Email: wendy@whartdesign.com

Sign up Now!

About the National Tropical Botanical Garden: The National Tropical Botanical Garden is dedicated to preserving tropical plant diversity and stemming the tide of extinction - through plant exploration, propagation, habitat restoration, scientific research, and education. NTBG's gardens and preserves are safe havens for at-risk species that otherwise might disappear forever. Two of its five gardens are situated on the south shore of the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i,

McBryde Garden is nestled in the picturesque and historical Lawa`i Valley. The site of the first garden of the NTBG, the Lawa`i Valley was chosen for its diversity of climate, soils, and topography. The area affords a kaleidoscope of distinct micro-environments which are cool, hot, wet, dry, lake, cliff or meadow. McBryde Garden has become a veritable botanical ark of tropical flora. It is home to the largest ex situ collection of native Hawaiian flora in existence, and extensive plantings of palms, flowering trees, Rubiaceae, heliconias, orchids, and many other plants that have been wild-collected from the tropical regions of the world.

Allerton Garden (Lawa`i-kai) lies between the Pacific Ocean and the McBryde Garden in the Lawa`i Valley, on the south shore of the Hawaiian Island of Kaua`i. It is a garden paradise, transformed through time by the hands of a Hawaiian Queen, by a sugar plantation magnate, and most significantly by an artist and an architect. The endless possibilities found in this dramatic topography led to the creation of this masterpiece of garden art. A series of garden rooms unfold between the Lawa`i Stream and the cliffs of the Valley. The sound of water is in abundance in pools, miniature waterfalls, and fountains. Statues grace this former estate and resonate with a European influence. Towering rainforest trees with tall curving roots grow near bronze mermaids, a grove of swaying golden bamboo, a cut-flower garden, and tropical fruit trees. Here the focus is on landscape design, but among the plantings are botanically important species of the tropics, including varieties of palms, ki (ti), heliconias, and gingers.

About the instructors:
Wendy Hollender is the coordinator for Botanical Art and Illustration at the New York Botanical Garden. She holds a BFA in textile design from the Rhode Island School of Design and earned a Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration at the New York Botanical Garden. She is the founder of WH Art & Design, which focuses on original botanical artwork for a variety of uses, including museums and conservation groups. In addition, she not only teaches at both New York botanical gardens but runs workshops at various tropical locations. She works on projects and exhibits internationally. In January of 2008 Wendy published; “Botanical Drawing, A Beginner’s Guide,” a workbook for anyone who wants to learn Botanical Drawing. It has been selling steadily at the New York Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Getty Museum, and on the artist's website. She is currently at work on a Botanical Drawing Book to be published by Random House in 2010. Visit Wendy's website to see her work. www.whartdesign.com

Dr. David Burney is Director of Conservation at NTBG. His research has focused on endangered species, paleoenvironmental studies, and causes of extinction. He has over 40 years of practical experience in conservation, including serving as a technical consultant for many national and international organizations. Prior to moving to Kaua`i in 2004 he was a Professor at Fordham University in New York for 15 years. He received an M.Sc. in Conservation Biology from the University of Nairobi (Kenya) and a Ph.D. in Zoology with a minor in Botany from Duke University. He is author of over 100 scientific articles and monographs, many concerning the processes of extinction and environmental change. In 2006 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to write a book on his work at Makauwahi Cave on Kaua`i, coming out soon at Yale University Press. His research has been featured on National Geographic Television, Discovery Channel, Hawaii Public Television, NOVA, and National Public Radio.

Inquiries about the workshop to: wendy@whartdesign.com
Inquiries about the NTBG and accommodations to: dburney@ntbg.org  
Sign up now!