Dr. Lew Feldman, the enthusiastic Director of the University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley’s hidden treasure, will be the after dinner speaker.  He will introduce us to the history of the garden and its roles in education, research, and conservation.  If you have ever heard him before you will want to hear him again. There are always new developments in the garden.

The 34-acre UC Botanical Garden is one of the most diverse landscapes in the world, with over 10,000 types of plants including many rare and endangered species with fascinating stories to tell.  The garden was established in 1890 and is an invaluable resource for international research and conservation.  It is located in Strawberry Canyon above the Berkeley campus. 

Dr Feldman is a graduate of UC Davis and received his Ph.D. from Harvard, after which he came to Berkeley on a post doctoral fellowship.  He joined the Berkeley faculty in the Department of Botany, now called the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology.  He teaches the large introductory biology class of over 750 students.  Dr. Feldman's main thrust at the garden is to ensure that the plants are curated and well managed as well as maintaining and updating the facilities for caring for the plants. Additionally, as Director, he works to promote Garden activities in conservation, education and research.

UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens Website