This fund was created by the Ayre Family in 1981 and has been an influential source of physical development and maintenance for the Botanical Garden since its inception. It has generously been supported further by the Friends of the Botanical Garden volunteer group. Agnes Ayre had a lifelong interest in botany and nature, often taking long walks with her art materials to sketch plants. During the 1920s, Agnes collected and identified many Newfoundland botanical specimens. Remarkably, she collected five-sixths of the then known flora of the province by the time of her passing.   She authored one of the first books on Newfoundland plants entitled “Wildflowers of Newfoundland” in 1935. The family also graciously donated her pressed plants and artistic sketches collection to create the Agnes Ayre Herbarium.  

Focus:

• To the greatest benefit of the Botanical Garden.

The Botanical Garden Endowment Fund is the cornerstone of our financial stability. Contributions to this fund provide the Garden with flexible resources to address emerging needs and opportunities. This fund supports everything from daily operations and maintenance to special projects that enhance the visitor experience.

Uses:

• Maintenance of garden grounds and facilities
• Development of new exhibits and educational programs
• Academic and non-academic programming for the community
• Support for operational costs to keep the Garden running smoothly
• Student employment
• Research
• Residency programs
• Professional development for staff, students, and volunteers

The Dr. C.W. and Joyce Cho fund was created in their honour by their children, in 2023. Dr. Chung Won Cho (“Cho”), born in Seoul, Korea, joined Memorial University in 1958, when it was located on Parade Street. As Head of the Department of Physics, Cho provided valuable contributions to building the physics department, including the recruitment of the first oceanography faculty member. In 1997 Cho became Professor Emeritus of Memorial University. Cho met his wife, Joyce Etsuko Cho, in Toronto when they were both part of a United Church Choir. When they arrived in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, they became members of the first congregation of St. James United Church where Cho played the organ and became Choir Director. Joyce, born in Richmond B.C., moved to Toronto with her family following the internment camps during the Second World War. There she took classes at the Ontario College of Art where she learned pottery, sketching, and oil painting. In Newfoundland, she discovered copper-plate etching and quilting and often translated her sketches into felt and embroidery works of art. Joyce was drawn to the delicate Newfoundland wildflowers, which were her favorite subject. The editor of Wildflower magazine saw one of her bakeapple watercolors and commissioned a cover art piece. From that, she was invited as one of the artists of the Temagami Provincial Park Conservation Art Project to contribute to Canada Blooms. She was also invited to Tasmania’s Art of the Islands in 2003, and she served on the board of the American Society for Botanical Art. She was a member of the Memorial University Botanical Garden's art group and provided transportation, brought food, and shared workshop materials.

Focus: Funds from the endowment will be granted annually to support the creation and/or sustainment of artistic endeavours within the Memorial University Botanical Garden. A special emphasis will be placed on arts with a botanical or nature theme.

Uses:

• Permanent or temporary art installations
• Artist fees, honoraria, or materials
• Art exhibitions, festivals, shows, or signature events
• Arts education and community programming
• Artist-in-residence programming

Focus: Funds from the endowment will be granted annually to support the volunteers who undertake endeavours to assist with the development of the Memorial University Botanical Garden. A special emphasis is placed on projects of mutual benefit between the Botanical Garden and the development of volunteers and volunteer groups.

Uses:

• Equipment, tools, or materials that can be shared between the volunteer members and the staff of the Botanical Garden
• Shared professional development opportunities for volunteers and Botanical Garden staff
• Infrastructure that is deemed necessary to support the volunteers and is in alignment with the needs of the Botanical Garden
• The leveraging of complimentary gifts, grants, or sponsorships to undertake larger projects in line with the spirit and intent of the gift

This Fund celebrates the life of Drs. Frank and Margarete Smith, professors of Memorial University and avid garden and nature enthusiasts. A retired professor of Chemistry at Memorial University, Frank was an avid volunteer throughout his life, dedicating time to the peace movement, music competitions, rose shows, and environmental concerns. Dr. Margarete Smith taught for almost 30 years in the French department at Memorial University and always enjoyed seeing her former students and colleagues in later years. She shared a love of gardening with her husband and collected and tended a variety of beautiful flowers and other plants, including vegetables and berries that fed the family for much of the year. As Frank and Margarete Smith were prominent gardening experts, the Botanical Garden of Memorial University is pleased to accept an endowed fund that will enable their legacy of gardening to continue. We are grateful to be able to dedicate our Cottage Garden in their honour.

Focus: The development and maintainence The Frank and Margarete Smith Cottage Garden

Uses: 

• To support the development and maintainence of the Cottage Garden and Botanical Garden
• Horticultural teaching, research, and public engagement programming
• Events and programming that showcase the Cottage Garden