Betty Ford Alpine GardensBetty Ford Alpine GardensBetty Ford Alpine Gardens
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens has steadily increased its impact locally, regionally and now on a global level, on alpine environments. Through education, community efforts, and conservation initiatives, we are seeing the effects of our focused care, as we broaden awareness and advocacy for protecting rare high altitude spaces.
In partnership with the Denver Botanic Gardens, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens co-authored the North American Botanic Garden Strategy for Alpine Plant Conservation. This strategic blueprint directly addresses the impacts of climate change and shifting ecosystems on high-altitude flora. By protecting and cataloging rare plant species, the Gardens safeguards rare plant species and the wildlife and pollinators that rely on these plants.
In 2025, the Gardens spearheaded the Alpine Plant Specialist Group (ALPSG) for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), expanding its high-altitude conservation methods to a global scale.
Through its robust seedbanking initiative, the Gardens helps to move closer to achieving the goal of conserving 60% of all identified North American alpine plant species ex-situ (off-site) by 2030. The program works to catalog and revive endangered and vulnerable alpine populations, such as the rare Penstemon debilis, in collaboration with organizations like the Bureau of Land Management’s Seeds for Success program.
By protecting native alpine species we are able to help the decline of select animal species, like the American Pika. The American pika is designated as a Tier 1 Species of Greatest Conservation Need under Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s State Wildlife Action Plan. Our support of organizations like the Colorado Pika Project (managed by Rocky Mountain Wild and the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance) deploy trained volunteers to monitor high-altitude talus slopes and help track long-term population health.
While current populations in Colorado remain relatively stable compared to other regions, scientific projections warn that climate warming could threaten pika survival in places like Rocky Mountain National Park by the end of the century.
Because warming temperatures cause high-altitude plants to bloom earlier—creating a mismatch in timing known as trophic asynchrony where pollinators emerge after flowers have already peaked—Betty Ford Alpine Gardens actively works to stabilize and study the Alpine ecosystem.
To protect plant-pollinator networks from local extinctions, the conservation team conducts extensive fieldwork to monitor populations and collect wild seeds for seed banking. These seeds are sent to the National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation for long-term storage, or propagated directly within our living collections. This protects threatened flora, ensuring that if a wild habitat is degraded, the plant, and the specific pollinators dependent on it, can be restored.
The Gardens designed and installed a dedicated Pollinator Garden. Located at an elevation of 8,200 feet, this habitat is a living laboratory and display of continuous, seasonal bloom of native alpine and subalpine perennials—such as yarrow, blanket flower, and Mexican hat—specifically selected to sustain native bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds across the short mountain growing season.
As one of the top summer attractions in the Town of Vail, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens counts more than 200,000 visitors a year. Community events, workshops, and speakers contribute world-class learning and education programming about alpine horticulture, gardening, landscaping and conservation for western slope residents, 2nd home owners and visitors to the Vail Valley.
Garden visitors experienced the beauty of alpine flora
Students and campers experienced the magic of the Gardens
Classrooms and local groups were engaged through community programming
Interns took the next step in their professional careers
Education Center guests learned about the pika’s alpine habitat
Major garden project upgrades
Scientific research days the team spent in the alpine
Thank you. Your support of Betty Ford Alpine Gardens powers a team of scientists, educators, horticulturists and volunteers. Together, we work toward our mission to protect the alpine environment through education, conservation and living plant collections.
See what we have created together.