Your Voice Can Help Bring a GREAT Botanical Garden to the Great Park!

Thanks to the collective voices of the Great Park Garden Coalition supporters, a botanical garden at the Great Park has now gained the support of the Great Park Board!  The City is now focusing over the next few months on a public outreach effort to collect comments on future development on the remaining land in the Great Park.  We now have an important opportunity to use our voices again to provide input on what uses and activities we want to see in the botanic garden.   

On October 28th, the City hosted the first of two town hall meetings for the public to have input on future development in the Great Park.  The meeting was well attended, including residents from nearby neighborhoods, the general public, and some of the Great Park Garden Coalition members. There were several exercises developed to gauge the level of interest in what activities were important to have. The public could also provide input on their vision or “wish list” for the Great Park.  The Coalition received comments directly from people who expressed support for a botanical garden and what they wanted to see in the garden. We were happy to hear from nearby residents and also people who had relocated from other areas and who had lived near or visited botanical gardens in other parts of the country.  They enthusiastically stressed the need for “a garden in the park”.

There are several upcoming opportunities to provide your comments about the many uses and activities that can make the botanic garden at the Great Park truly GREAT.  Your input is valuable, and we know your time is too, so we hope you can show your support in any of the following ways: 

  • The second in-person Town Hall meeting, similar to the first meeting, is scheduled for Wednesday, December 1st at 6 p.m. in Hangar 244.  The Coalition will be there again and would love to hear your thoughts about those uses and activities that would bring you to the botanic garden.
  • For those who cannot attend the town hall meeting, the City has provided another opportunity to participate through an on-line virtual Town Hall meeting.  You can use this link – https://dev.ibiviz.com/usa/ca/greatpark/ to learn more about Great Park and to take the survey to provide your comments about what you would like to see developed there.  So many exciting possibilities – children’s gardens, wedding and special event space, holiday displays, plant exhibits, outdoor classes, and venues for art and live music events.  

The survey provides the chance to have your comments counted, and you can also forward the link to family and friends who share your interest in seeing a botanical garden at the Great Park.

The final results from the input received from the town hall meetings will be compiled and presented to the Great Park Board at the January 22nd, 2022 meeting. 

We greatly appreciate your valuable support in any of the following ways: 

  • Join the Coalition at the meeting;
  • Participate via Zoom in real time;
  • Write to the Great Park Board of Directors and send via email to CLERK@CITYOFIRVINE.ORG
  • Send a letter via postal mail to ATTN. GREAT PARK BOARD, One Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA  92606 

As the holiday season approaches, we are reminded of how very thankful we are for YOU, our supporters!  Let’s keep this amazing progress going. We can help decide what uses and activities will make the botanical garden at the Great Park truly GREAT.   Say “Yes, I want my Great Park to provide a place for education and celebration, a place for cultural and community events, a place for people of all ages, backgrounds, and perspectives to connect with nature and with each other.”