Editor:

What will we have lost if we turn a blind eye to the neglect of SF’s world-renowned Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park? What used to be a pristine, well-cared-for example of horticultural exquisiteness and has become a shabby, clear cut, dried up spectacle of itself.

Over several years, gardeners have been quitting, “interpretative volunteers“ (docents) are excused with the explanation that the public wants recreation not education, workers are untrained and lacking the knowledge to care for these exceptional species of plants and trees. Many are either being neglected, cut down or clear cut with nothing to replace them.

The 8,000 documented unique plants are growing here because of the educated vision of Dennis Breedlove, Don Mahoney, Alice Eastwoods and other botanists and loving conservationists who came together to create this garden with the distinction of collecting rare and endangered plants that adapt to winter rains and summer fog. The Botanical Garden tells the interesting story of the evolution of life on our  planet, giving people respect for the intelligence of nature and the web of life all around them.

This mature city park now looks like a park under construction. Someone needs to take a deep dive into looking at the diminished and neglected loss of plant life and vow to preserve and protect this green gem.

Marissa DeNola