THE MYRNA BERGER CHILDREN
AND FAMILY GARDEN

DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN

The vision statement for the new Children and Family Garden at the Desert Botanical Garden is to ignite and inspire lifelong learning about Nature and the desert environment for children and families. Artful, whimsical, and deeply rooted within its Sonoran Desert context, the garden provides rich opportunities for hands-on learning and nature play. Using art as a bridge between science and people, the garden master plan integrates art elements to reveal the natural systems and phenomena that make the desert so unique. The intent is for visitors of all ages to gain appreciation for nature through participation and immersion, reinforcing the Garden’s overall mission: to help people enjoy the beauty of the desert – and care for it.

The masterplan was developed through a large number of design workshops with Didier Design Studio as lead designer and landscape architect, Lake Flato as lead architect for the education building, Natural Learning Initiative for expertise on play, Del Harrow as lead artist, ORCA for operations planning, Waterline Studios for water engineering, Rider Levett Bucknall for cost estimating and a host of staff, volunteers and community members.

The Myrna H. Berger Children and Family Garden is the winner of a 2018 ASLA Arizona Honor Award.