Betty Ford Alpine GardensBetty Ford Alpine GardensBetty Ford Alpine Gardens
Your support can play a vital role in the conservation and protection of high alpine spaces in Colorado and around the world. Your support will help continue the legacy of Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, so that the beauty of alpine plant species and their habitats can be shared with future generations.
Become a member, or make a donation, to help ensure that our unique botanic garden, the only one dedicated to preserving the plants, animals and pollinators of the high alpine, can continue its critical work around the globe.
Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, our botanic garden offers a beautiful jewelbox display of native plant species in a collection of alpine gardens designed to provide a living classroom as well as a peaceful sanctuary for visitors and residents of the Vail Valley. We offer a crucial resource for community connection, education and the preservation of alpine ecosystems. Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Whether you join as a member, or make a one-time gift, your support is a testament to your commitment to environmental stewardship, plant diversity and protecting native species, ensuring that mountain environments continue to thrive for generations to come.
We rely on your donations to support our mission to protect and preserve Alpine plants and their habitats. Your support is needed to help us with research, programming, acquisition of plants, collection and preservation of native seeds, and special events to bring the importance of alpine environments to life. Below are just a few of the ways your donations have helped protect Alpine habitats around the world.
Partnering with Denver Botanic Gardens, we co-authored the North American Botanic Garden Strategy for Alpine Plant Conservation. This effort created a plan for protecting North America’s alpine plants, with a view to collaboration across North America between various research organizations and individuals who can lend support. View the Alpine Strategy to better understand our work.
When curiosity is sparked among visitors, and especially children, then understanding grows and a new interest in conservation is born. Our exhibits are designed to light up the imagination and show visitors the connection between alpine plants and the entire ecosystem of life on the planet.
Through past partnerships with the Smithsonian and New York Museum of Natural History, donations have helped to bring world-class educational exhibits on pollinators, climate change, and alpine conservation directly to the Vail Valley. These nationally acclaimed experiences—made possible by member support, gifts and grants—transform curiosity into deep environmental connection.
The Colorado Alpine EcoFlora Project, a community-science botany project powered by iNaturalist, helps us understand and document Alpine plant diversity. Primary to this project is knowing where the plants are, and when they are blooming. Outcomes of this project:
Our Workshops and Speaker Series illuminate the intricate web of alpine life—revealing how rare mountain plants sustain the wildlife, pollinators, and bird species that depend on them for survival. Each summer, we curate an exceptional lineup of renowned authors, scientists, and conservation experts who share cutting-edge insights in our stunning mountain setting, creating affordable educational experiences that unite our community around the wonder of high-altitude ecosystems.
Our Workshops and Speaker Series illuminate the intricate web of alpine life—revealing how rare mountain plants sustain the wildlife, pollinators, and bird species that depend on them for survival. Each summer, we curate an exceptional lineup of renowned authors, scientists, and conservation experts who share cutting-edge insights in our stunning mountain setting, creating affordable educational experiences that unite our community around the wonder of high-altitude ecosystems.
Your gift helps ensure our one-of-a-kind botanic garden continues for future generations. That means we can continue our work to preserve native alpine plant species through research, programming, acquisition of plants, collection and preservation of native seeds, as well as creating special events and exhibits for education and enjoyment of visitors.
Because of major gifts and donations, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens has been able to lead the way in the conservation of alpine ecosystems on a global level.