The state of Florida has included $600,000 in its new budget to support Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ efforts to house its world-class scientific collections in facilities that will protect them from hurricanes and major storms. The appropriation came in a year when Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed more than $1 billion worth of projects in the wake of the state’s economic crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Selby Gardens maintains the best scientifically-documented collections of orchids and bromeliads in the world, along with other plant collections, electronic databases, rare books, scientific journals, and digital images and video from 45 years of research by some of the world’s leading botanists. The collections are currently housed in older, former residential buildings on the Selby Gardens Downtown Sarasota campus that aren’t built to current hurricane standards. The appropriation will be of tremendous help as Selby Gardens looks to move the collections into modern, hurricane-resilient facilities as part of the master plan it has submitted to the City of Sarasota for approval.

“We could not have secured this appropriation without the phenomenal leadership of Senator Joe Gruters, as well as the support of our state legislators,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, President and CEO of Selby Gardens. “We are also thankful for the support of Governor DeSantis, who recognizes the value Selby Gardens’ vision for the future will bring to Sarasota and the entire state of Florida.”