New York City is widely considered to be one of the most diverse places on the planet, with residents from hundreds of different countries living within close proximity of each other. Queens in particular has a broad mix of ethnic populations, which have lead some to consider it the most culturally diverse area in the world. Yet, when Susan Lacerte became the Executive Director of the Queens Botanical Garden, she noticed that the diversity of the borough was not reflected in the Botanical Garden’s attendance. To challenge that, Lacerte started The Ambassador Program to reach out to ethnic communities and find out what they wanted in their public garden.

By engaging the leaders of various ethnic groups throughout the borough, she discovered that each culture had their own values and desires, and it is necessary to work with them to integrate what they want into the Garden. One of their most successful programs involved outreach to the local Chinese community. Lacerte found out that there was a strong desire among Chinese residents for a place to practice Tai Chi, so the Garden started hosting Tai Chi classes. Today, nearly 300 people visit the Garden to practice Tai Chi each day, and not all of the participants are Chinese.

Not only has the Queens Botanical Garden become a place where people of different ethnicities can practice their customs and traditions, it has become a place where people can share ideas and learn about other cultures. Now, tours through the beautiful green space in one of the most densely urbanized places in the world consist of people of all colors and backgrounds. By reaching out to the various populations of the community, the Queens Botanical Garden has become a successful community institution that serves the borough’s entire population.

For more information: http://www.queensbotanical.org/home