SARASOTA, Fla. (SNN TV) — “So why did we persevere, scale over those obstacles, and keep on keeping on? For this!” exclaimed Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ CEO and President Jennifer Rominiecki as she announced the gardens’ expansion.
It’s an expansion that’s all about reduction.
“As of today, Selby Gardens becomes an international leader in sustainability,” Rominiecki said.
The snip of the ribbon symbolized the snip of their carbon footprint.
“We will become the first net-positive energy botanical garden complex in the world, generating more energy than we consume,” she said.
While net-positive energy buildings exist, Selby’s expansion makes it the first net-positive botanical garden complex because it’s a series of buildings. The 188,030 feet of new facilities are powered by tens of thousands of feet of solar panels.
“There’s so many green elements to the project from stormwater management, use of reclaimed wood, resiliency, you name it,” said Rominiecki.
The new research center houses more than 125,000 dried and pressed plant specimens and more than 35,000 vials of flowers and other plant parts. It’s the second largest collection of its kind in the world.
Along with that and a welcome center, the Morganroth Family Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF) houses Selby’s new restaurant, The Green Orchid.
“The restaurant will become the first net-positive restaurant in the world,” Rominiecki said.
The kitchen equipment is no gas, no fire, all electric and induction. Electromagnetic energy is transferred straight to the pots and pans, which means the stove isn’t hot afterward.
The food is grown in a garden on the roof, with other ingredients augmented by local farms depending on how well the produce is growing at that time of the year. The Green Orchid is set to officially open within the next few weeks.
“I think everyone should come here and learn about what we’ve done and hopefully apply it elsewhere,” said Rominiecki. “That’s what we hope will happen.”
She added that the expansion wouldn’t be possible without the Selby Garden Board of Trustees, Selby’s members, volunteers, contributors, donors, and the staff itself.
