What Is Cornell Botanic Gardens' Mission and Community Commitment?

Cornell Botanic Gardens' stated mission is "connecting plants and peoples for a world of diversity, beauty, and hope." That mission is paired with two explicit community commitments: a land acknowledgement recognizing that Cornell University sits on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (Cayuga Nation), part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and a stated effort to increase diversity across all the communities it engages. Together these frame the organization as more than a display garden: it manages about one-third of Cornell's campus, including cultivated gardens, an arboretum, and natural areas, totaling 3,600 acres with off-campus natural areas included.

The mission in practice

The phrase "connecting plants and peoples" is the organizing idea behind the gardens' public work. In practice, that shows up in three ways:

• Stewardship of campus land. The gardens are responsible for the natural beauty of the Cornell University campus, from cultivated gardens to natural areas.
• Public programs and events. Seasonal, family-oriented, and educational events turn the collections into a venue for learning about plants and their role in culture and ecology.
• Storytelling that links plants to people. Exhibits and student-led projects use plants as a way to explore human relationships, history, and reciprocity.

Land acknowledgement

Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation), members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The gardens publish this acknowledgement as part of their public identity rather than as a footnote, which matters if you are planning a class visit, a partnership, or a group tour and want to know what framing the organization uses.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts

The gardens state that they "embrace and actively work to increase diversity among all the communities with which we engage." That commitment is visible in partnerships rather than only in policy language. One documented example: students in the Learning by Leading program worked extensively with the Onondaga Nation School on native plants and design ideas, contributing to a medicinal garden at the school that the gardens describe as growing opportunity for students.

Programs that reflect these commitments

If you want to see the mission in action rather than read about it, these are the entry points the organization highlights:

How to use this if you are deciding whether to engage

• If you are a teacher or group organizer: the land acknowledgement and the Learning by Leading partnership model give you a concrete way to frame a visit around Indigenous history and native plants. Check upcoming events before you plan, since programming changes by season.
• If you are a student or researcher: the mission language and the scale of the managed land (3,600 acres) suggest the gardens function as both a living collection and a site for applied projects; the Learning by Leading program is the clearest documented pathway.
• If you are a community partner: the DEI statement is broad, so judge fit by the documented partnerships rather than the wording alone. The Onondaga Nation School project is the most specific example available.
• If you are a visitor: the mission is background, but it explains why the gardens mix horticulture with cultural exhibits and seasonal community events rather than functioning as a purely ornamental space.

The main limitation to keep in mind: the published material describes commitments and example programs, not metrics or formal policies. Treat the mission and acknowledgement as the organization's stated position, and use the events calendar and program pages to confirm what is currently running before you build a visit or partnership around it.