Urban Explorations' Innovative Jobs Program at Queens Botanical Garden.

Susan Lacerte, Executive Director of Queens Botanical Garden, and Patricia Olmstead, owner of Urban Explorations team up

Video segments available below.

Long Island City, NY March 3, 2010 - Urban Explorations, a landscape design company based in Long Island City, has teamed up with the Queens Botanical Garden in an innovative new program to keep employees working during their off season.

Urban Explorations company is donating the time of its experienced employees to provide much needed manpower for special projects at the Botanical Garden. This comes at a time when the Botanical Garden budgets have been limited and cut. Entrepreneur, Patricia Olmstead, owner of Urban Explorations and Susan Lacerte, Executive Director of Queens Botanical Garden, have created this perfect public-private partnership.

Pat sums it up. "We have to help each other." It is that simple.

During the down winter months, Pat's employees report to Karl McKoy, Head Gardener, at the Botanical Garden to do projects. Pat's company continues to pay them. While they are working for Karl, her employees are gaining valuable experience and horticultural skills. Managers from Urban Explorations continue to supervise as well.

Lacerte calls attention to the new sustainable rose garden that is being installed. She explains that "The movement in the gardening world is to have roses that do not need spraying. Karl caught onto this because it is about environmental stewardship, and began installing the new rose garden. The project the crew is working on right now is making the trellises". During the next year, people will enjoy this "sustainable garden" on these innovative trellises.

While at the Queens Botanical Garden, Tim Heimerle, Director of Development and Market, gave us a tour of the Platinum LEEDS Award Winning (only 17 in the United States) Administrative Center. The video guides you through the building and will help people understand a true LEEDS building, and a green roof. 15,000 Children a year are exposed to the Botanical Garden Education program.

OurLIC thanks Susan Lacerte, Karl McKoy, Marlene Krause, Glenn Maccioli, Marianne, Tim Heimerle, Nilsa Marinez, Kelly Cox, and, of course, Pat Olmstead for taking time to share their story with us.

Special thanks to Pat Olmstead for keeping her crew working! As Susan Lacerte says, "It's what this world is about."

Video segments available below.

Go to OurLIC Profile for Urban Landscape Go to Urban Landscape website Go to Queens Botanical Garden   Part 1: Urban Explorations' Innovative Jobs Program at Queens Botanical Garden. Susan Lacerte, Patricia Olmstead 3/2/10 Part 2: Urban Explorations' Innovative Jobs Program at Queens Botanical Garden. Susan Lacerte, Patricia Olmstead 3/2/10 Part 3: Urban Explorations' Innovative Jobs Program at Queens Botanical Garden. Susan Lacerte, Patricia Olmstead 3/2/10 Part 4: Urban Explorations' Innovative Jobs Program at Queens Botanical Garden. Susan Lacerte, Patricia Olmstead 3/2/10 Part 5: Urban Explorations' Innovative Jobs Program at Queens Botanical Garden. Susan Lacerte, Patricia Olmstead 3/2/10 Part 6: Urban Explorations' Innovative Jobs Program at Queens Botanical Garden. Susan Lacerte, Patricia Olmstead 3/2/10 Part 7 Tour of Queens Botanical Garden Administrative Offices Urban Explorations' Innovative Jobs Program at Queens Botanical Garden. Susan Lacerte, Patricia Olmstead Tim Heimerle, 3/2/10

Susan Lacerte (L), Executive Director, Queens Botanical Gardens with Pat Olmstead (R), Owner, Urban Explorations. Kelly Cox soldering copper pipes to make trellises. Model of Administrative Building showing the Green Roof and rain collection system. Trellis made of copper. Karl McKoy, Marlene Krause, Pat Olmstead, Marianne, Susan Lacerte Reference: Patricia Olmstead Owner Urban Explorations, Inc. 31-16 30th Avenue Astoria, NY 11102 718-726-2824 www.urbanexplorationsny.com Go to OurLIC Featured Profile of Urban Exploratons Go to OurLIC GALLERY for Urban Exploratons Go to OurLIC NETWORKING profile of Pat Olmstead Susan Lacerte Executive Director Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main Street Flushing, NY 11355 718-886-3800 ext 205 www.queensbotanical.org Tim Heimerle Director of Development & Marketing Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main Street Flushing, NY 11355 718-886-3800 ext 330 Urban Explorations, Inc. Address: 31-16 30th Avenue City: Astoria State: NY Full Description: Our staff is professionally trained and experienced in all phases of garden design, installation and maintenance. They are a friendly and conscientious crew and always ready to answer your gardening questions. High standards and commitment to servicing your garden needs are evidenced by consistently successful results in the finished landscape. The company's founder and owner, Patricia Olmstead , received her Certificate in Landscape Design from The New York Botanical Garden. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and is an ASCP Registered Microbiologist. She has been in the landscaping business for over twenty years. Her desire to recapture the natural landscape in urban spaces arose from her earlier gardening experiences in the rural midwest. Her skill at designing gardens in the metropolitan settings can also be attributed to a solid base of work experience. Patricia managed a well- known interior landscaping company for eight years; she also handled sales and design at one of New York's largest landscaping firms. In addition to managing her company, she teaches "Historic Houses" at The New School for Social Research. Her articles about the value and preservation of gardens in the urban environment have appeared in several publications. She was heralded as a model of the entrepreneurial spirit by New York Newsday in April, 1993. Seasonal plantings such as tulips and mums with pumpkins, evergreen mulches, ornamental kale with cyclamen and colorful branches in cold weather will give your garden variety and sprucing up throughout the year. Holiday items like wreaths, Christmas trees, and specially designed theme displays create a festive atmosphere once the outdoor gardens are dormant for the winter. We offer one free initial consultation to discuss all aspects of your landscape needs, including budget considerations and ambient conditions of your particular site or micro-environment. A conceptual plan in writing is provided based on the details gathered at the first meeting. Drawings in the form of garden plans and elevations graphically fine tune the design. A garden plan may incorporate elements other than plants. We encourage using features such as stone, water, sculptures and lighting. We create successive gardens where there is continuous color from January through December.