The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
On March 13, 2020, we closed our buildings to the public due to the pandemic, but kept our grounds open safely. Little did we know the impact these actions would have on the Arboretum, the Stamford community, and the region's community members who came from far and wide to find safe solace on the 93 acres of open space we provide at no charge. Thousands of visitors hiked, walked their dogs, played with their children, and took time to enjoy the gardens. The increase in traffic required our staff to deal with tons of garbage, dog waste, rental of a handicapped accessible portolet, and increased vandalism to the property. Our annual second grade program field trips came to a halt, our paid programming ceased (landscaper classes, outreach to senior centers, after school programs, etc.), and our summer camp was cut to half the number of children allowed by law. Our largest fundraiser of the year, the fall gala was canceled, as were other revenue generators such as our honey festival, ArborEarth Day, summer concerts, and our annual plant sale. UConn Extension Master Gardener classes went online.
On the positive side, we are not a hidden gem anymore, and by staying open while other organizations closed, we gained new visitors and the appreciation of the region's community members for providing them with a safe place to visit. We pivoted where we could to online programming. We brought the Arboretum to the schools via virtual programs, as we did with senior centers as well. We slowly opened up and had safe outdoor programming when the weather allowed us to do so.