A Botanical Gardens Risk Checklist

I wanted to know more about botanical gardens and the security problems and risks they face so I asked our resident expert Robert Carotenuto, Secretary of the AAM Security Committee and Director of Security for the New York Botanical Gardens. When every plant is a specimen and part of the collection, many things thought of as "normal" in a museum environment can be problematic. Here is a checklist from Robert:

Botanical Garden Security Challenges:

Display-related Risks

•Picnicking or sunbathing on lawns

•Visitors playing recreational games on the grounds

•Graffiti—carving names into trees

•Theft of plants and vegetation

•Littering

•Arson (native forest)

Weather-related Risks

•Staff exposed to the elements (heat, cold, rain, snow) for extended periods of time

•Uneven paths can become slick or icy

•Narrow roadways restrict vehicle access (emergency services)

•Storms felling trees: damage to collection and/or property (buildings & vehicles), personal injury

•Severe weather damaging living collection

•Lightening as a threat to collections and, of course, visitors.

General Risks

•Construction unwittingly damaging collection; digging or trenching a distance from a tree can still impact root systems.

•Ice-melt product damaging collection

•Persons having allergic reaction after touching plants

•Vehicular accidents

•Personnel injured operating equipment (e.g. arborist using clippers or chainsaw)

•Pests (vermin, insects, various animals) or destructive fauna invading collection

•Pesticides (personnel exposure, fire/explosion)

•Compost fires

•Squatters or after-hour “thrill seekers”

•Large areas not under physical or electronic surveillance

“Soft target” terrorist target

One botanical garden security manager told me that a major concern of his is that his area is prone to violent electrical storms and that when a storm blows up, people often take refuge under trees--the worse possible place to hide.  His facility installed shelters but also drove through the park in an electric vehicle to “rescue” visitors stranded on trails in violent storms.

To some degree, the risks you face depend on your location. A Florida garden told of frequent alligator encounters in the gardens.

Another manager said that his greatest concern is when high school and college kids from the area steak into the park at night and set fires or cause serious damage.