Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 15 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.
After more than three years of work, Elephant Valley is opening at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park today (5 March).
The project is the largest and most transformative in the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's 109-year history.
The new experience on a 13-acre site will provide an up-close viewing of the park’s herd of eight endangered African savanna elephants – Swazi, Ndlula, Umngani, Khosi, Zuli, Mkhaya, Nisa, and Kami.
Named the Denny Sanford Elephant Valley after its lead donor, the habitat is designed as a dynamic savanna and features more than 350 rare and endangered African plants to replicate the sights, sounds and smells of Africa's ecosystems.
It also serves as a bridge between the zoo's scientific work in San Diego and its elephant conservation initiatives across the African savanna.
At the heart of Elephant Valley is Mkutano House, a two-story restaurant featuring three distinct dining destinations: Mkutano, Ona Lounge, and Tu Grill.
Shawn Dixon, president and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said last year: "Denny Sanford Elephant Valley's innovative design celebrates the world's largest land mammal and the communities that coexist with them.
"Every detail of this habitat has been purposefully designed to reflect the elephants' natural environment, supporting their well-being while inspiring meaningful connections."
San Diego Zoo Safari Park is one of several zoos investing in enhanced elephant habitats, alongside projects such as Elephant Trek at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
Elephants in zoos across the world remain a controversial topic, with some organisations no longer keeping the animals.
The San Diego Zoo and its safari park are fully accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which has specific rules and guidelines for keeping elephants.
Dan Ashe, AZA’s president and CEO, told the San Diego Union-Tribune the association is committed "to managing elephants as elephants, in multi-generational herds, and allowing them the space and the opportunity to do what they want to do, to behave as elephants and as elephants do in nature".
He said zoos will likely look at the San Diego Safari Park's new habitat "and say, 'Wow, look what they're doing, can't we do that?'"
Images courtesy of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 15 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.
SSA Group has been working on a transformative approach to operations. By weaving its signature 452 Hospitality ethos, rooted in a legacy of welcome and human connection, into Scout, a new AI-driven operating system, the company demonstrates how AI can enhance rather than replace the human side of hospitality.
For nearly 60 years, SSA Group has been a staple in the cultural attractions sector, collaborating with zoos, aquariums, and museums to provide comprehensive guest services. As a family-owned business, the company has continually adapted, but its core mission remains centred on a simple, powerful concept: hospitality.
We speak with CEO Sean McNicholas and vice president of people and culture, Jason Stover, to unpack Scout's mission and learn how it can open the door to both greater efficiency and more memorable moments.
SSA reimagines the industry
Starting by looking at the bigger picture, McNicholas says: “What I love about SSA and our family business is our curiosity for continuing to reimagine the industry.
"Those are pillars of our plan. We approach 60 years as a family business in 2030, and what’s exciting to us is continuing to innovate, not just our business, but the guest experience for our clients and partners.”
Sean McNicholas and Jason Stover
This culture of curiosity is what prompted McNicholas and Stover to investigate the potential of artificial intelligence long before it became the industry buzzword it is today.
"Five or six years ago, Jason came to me as one of the early adopters of AI. We started talking about it, and the more we looked at tools like AI, we asked a very simple question: what one, two, or three areas could AI positively impact our business?"
For SSA, the goal was not to replace staff or remove the human element from the museum or zoo experience through automation. Instead, the emphasis was on liberation.
"The thing that became clear was how tools like AI could help us become more efficient with data, back-end systems, and administrative work," adds McNicholas.
"If we can be more efficient there, we can spend more time meeting guests where they need us, which is on the front line.”
The outcome of this exploration is Scout, an AI-assisted tool and ‘unified intelligence layer’ designed specifically for cultural attractions.
Scout is positioned not as a replacement for human workers, but as a co-pilot. It is an operating system that gathers data from across the industry to provide real-time insights. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, Scout has been built for the sector's operational realities.
"AI is trending now, but it’s not new," says Stover.
"I’ve been with SSA for almost 30 years, and my journey with AI in this company has existed since day one. When I first became a manager, we were already experimenting with predictive analytics, trying to forecast attendance and staffing.
"That was AI at the time."
However, the leap to generative AI offered a new opportunity to support SSA's secret sauce: its people.
Stover employs a cinematic analogy to describe Scout’s role within the workforce:
"I compare it to Tony Stark," he says. "He’s brilliant, but he doesn’t become Iron Man until he has Jarvis. That’s what Scout is. It’s a co-pilot that takes away routine, monotonous work so our people can focus on what matters."
Real-time, useful insights
Designed to support guest-journey walkthroughs, the platform collects real-time observations and converts them into actionable insights tailored to each attraction.
The tool was created in accordance with SSA’s core belief that technology should never replace connection; it should enhance it. The idea is that data and design can collaborate to create memorable guest experiences.
This supports SSA’s wider focus on innovation, which aims to turn curiosity into meaningful change that advances partners' missions. By automating data analysis, Scout helps operators make more informed decisions about designs, platforms, and revenue strategies.
"Guest expectations are evolving faster than ever," says Stover. "Scout was built to meet this moment as a tech-forward AI tool that allows us to keep experiences deeply personal.”
The heart of the system: 452 Hospitality
Although the technology is impressive, the engine driving Scout remains entirely human. At the centre of Scout’s design is 452 Hospitality, the cultural ethos that defines SSA Group’s purpose and character.
Named after 452 Leyden Street, the Denver home where SSA’s founders first lived and practised hospitality, 452 has since become both a numeric and philosophical code for what the company stands for: a spirit of welcome, belonging, and genuine human connection.
At 452 Leyden Street, anyone could come in for a meal, a chat, or a place to rest. And that sense of genuine warmth now lives on in every SSA service encounter.
Today, 452 Hospitality reflects SSA’s ongoing dedication to creating authentic, memorable moments that uplift guests, partners, and colleagues alike.
That same spirit guides Scout’s purpose: rather than replacing people, the AI system aims to enable staff to embody 452 Hospitality more fully, freeing them from administrative burdens so they can provide the personal engagement that makes guests feel welcome and valued.
In practice, this involves a particular method for engaging with guests and monitoring operations. Scout develops a digital framework for this using the SOQ model: Observation, Opinion, and Question.
"Scout is being trained by the entire zoo, aquarium, and cultural attraction industry," Stover says. "Every conversation, every audit, every partner insight gets ingested and shapes how Scout operates.”
Within the Scout ecosystem, there are various ‘agents’ dedicated to different tasks, such as labour optimisation and inventory management. However, the ‘452 agent’ is unique.
"It has vision and voice capabilities. As you walk through operations, it analyses images and observations in real time and evaluates them against our hospitality standards. It acts as a co-pilot for auditors and operators, making observations, offering insights, and matching them with best practices and solutions.
“You might miss something as a human, but Scout won’t.”
Scout in action
The deployment of Scout is already producing tangible outcomes, progressing from theoretical ideas to solving complex on-site issues. This highlights SSA’s focus on turning insights into action by combining data, technology, and human connection.
McNicholas emphasises that the team is "continually evolving Scout by testing it across multiple attractions," noting that "every new site adds more data and sharper insights.”
Stover offers an example of Scout’s operational intelligence in action from a working session with the Detroit Zoo. The team was exploring a complex “what-if” scenario: opening a new entrance near a new exhibit while navigating compliance considerations, budget constraints, and a nearby rail track.
“Using Scout as a sandbox alongside their team, we pressure-tested the constraints, surfaced relevant regulatory considerations, explored alternative approaches like repurposed shipping containers, and generated rough-order cost ranges. It was less about committing to a final plan and more about accelerating discovery.”
“What’s exciting is that every audit surfaces a new real-world question, and we ask: Should this become a new sub-agent? That’s how Scout keeps evolving.”
Another success story comes from the Dallas Zoo, where Scout was instrumental in helping the zoo team explore their own AI journey while SSA conducted an inter-department relationship audit.
Scout is tailored to each user’s psychology
What makes Scout different from typical business AI tools is its incorporation of behavioural psychology. Acknowledging that strong operations don't happen by accident, SSA has combined leadership development with its technological roadmap.
Stover, whose background is in people and culture, insisted that if they were to create co-pilots, they had to understand the humans who would use them. So, instead of providing generic recommendations, Scout adapts its guidance to each leader's thinking and communication style.
"One of the first things we decided was that if we were going to build AI co-pilots, they needed to integrate Behavioural Essentials," Stover says. "We already use behavioural assessments that give leaders a 21-point profile, with strengths, tendencies, and blind spots. We’ve now incorporated that into Scout.”
This means that when a manager logs into Scout, the system is tailored to their specific personality profile.
"It understands how I communicate, where I might need softer language, or where I might need more structure," Stover says.
He adds that McNicholas served as the ‘guinea pig’ for this feature:
"We merged his traits and blind spots into Scout as he was working through our future roadmap. Scout isn’t just an AI tool; it understands your psychological makeup and helps cover your blind spots as you operate in your role.”
The future of the workforce
A common concern about AI is the risk of job displacement. However, SSA’s leadership firmly states that their investment in technology aims to safeguard, not eliminate, their workforce.
"As CEO, culture is my responsibility, and culture starts with values," McNicholas says. "Hospitality, human-to-human interaction, has always been our foundation. I don’t want a world of all robots and automation. I love people too much.
“That’s why Scout exists. It helps us live what we love to do: creating special moments for people.”
Stover shares this view, considering AI as a safeguard against the decline of interpersonal skills observed in other industries:
"We have to be proactive in shaping the future. Many companies will use AI purely to impact the bottom line. That’s their choice. But SSA has always been people-focused. We’re adopting AI safely and intentionally to better our people. As interpersonal skills decline elsewhere, we’re protecting them by freeing people up to reconnect.”
The efficiency gains are clear. Stover notes that tasks like scheduling, which previously took hours to analyse against weather and sales history, now happen in seconds. "That frees managers up to spend time with their team. That’s the point.
“We’re hospitality people. We want to be in front of guests, not behind a screen.”
A vision for 2030
Looking ahead, SSA has set bold goals for the next five years. As the company approaches its 60th anniversary in 2030, the vision is for a fully enabled workforce where each employee has a digital partner.
"By 2030, every person in our company will have a co-pilot that helps them be more efficient," predicts McNicholas. "We’ll also bring a unified revenue strategy to attractions, something the industry lacks.”
He also believes the metrics of success are shifting. It is no longer enough to simply count heads at the gate:
"The future metrics won’t just be attendance. They’ll be revenue, guest experience, and fulfilment," he says.
"There’s more competition than ever, and we have to be the place where guests leave thinking, 'That felt right.' To do that, our people need tools like Scout so they can spend more time creating those moments.
“That’s how we reimagine the industry.”
The future of hospitality
Summing up the benefits, COO Travis Kight says:
"AI is the future of hospitality, but not in the way most imagine. We see AI as a co-pilot, not a replacement, designed to protect the human connection that defines our industry.
“Tools like Scout allow us to turn data into real-time insights, freeing our teams from repetitive tasks so they can focus on creating unforgettable guest experiences.
"As Sean mentioned, by 2030, our vision is for every team member to have a digital partner that amplifies their strengths, covers blind spots, and helps us deliver hospitality at a level the industry has never seen.
“AI isn’t about automation. It’s about empowerment.”
As SSA Group looks towards the attractions of tomorrow, its message is clear: the path to the future is built on data, but the goal remains human connection.
By anchoring Scout in 452 Hospitality's philosophy of creating meaningful, human-centred moments, SSA isn’t just adopting AI for efficiency. It’s enhancing its ability to deliver heartfelt experiences that define its brand and shape the future of the guest experience.
"That’s the foundation of Scout," Stover says. "If a tool doesn’t protect hospitality or make us better people-facing operators, it doesn’t get built.”
FuseMetrix, a leisure management software provider, has announced that it has received a strategic growth investment from Azlin Software, a vertical software platform that acquires and grows mission-driven B2B software companies over the long term.
With this investment, the Milton Keynes-based company further strengthens its dedication to delivering the most comprehensive, innovative, and trusted software in the sector to support the daily operations of leisure operators across the UK and worldwide.
Annalise Dragic, co-CEO of Azlin Software, says: "Leisure and attraction businesses deserve better software and FuseMetrix is delivering it.
"Their product addresses a broader range of needs than any other solution in the market, offering a truly integrated ‘all-in-one’ platform. Beyond just the product, this is a team that genuinely cares about their customers and treats their own people right.
"The combination of an excellent product, a mission-driven culture, and the opportunity for growth is exactly what we look for. We're thrilled to be a values-aligned long-term partner in their future growth.”
Setting the industry standard
Leisure operators are facing a difficult environment due to increasing operational costs and evolving visitor expectations. And dealing with disjointed systems that require manual workarounds can add to these challenges.
FuseMetrix's cloud-based platform combines online booking, ePOS, finance, CRM, HR, and more into a single, integrated system that can be securely accessed through any browser, in any location. With this, operators can spend less time managing disconnected tools and more time delivering exceptional visitor experiences.
With Azlin Software’s investment, the company is now well placed to build on its 20-year foundation, strengthen its operations, expand its team to meet growing client demand, and deliver new features that keep the platform at the forefront of the sector.
The FuseMetrix team
Notably, its core leadership remains unchanged. Darren Darkins and Callum Knight will continue as CEO and sales director, while FuseMetrix founder, Matthew Ballinger, remains chairman.
"We are delighted to partner with Azlin Software to accelerate our growth," says Ballinger. "Since founding FuseMetrix over two decades ago, we have taken great pride in delivering a high-quality product backed by dependable, personal service.
"Azlin Software’s long-term investing approach gives our customers real confidence in the enduring strength of FuseMetrix."
Darkins says: "We are excited to partner with Azlin Software given their expertise in vertical software and their clear alignment with our mission: to build the most innovative, trusted software platform for leisure businesses, setting the industry standard.
"The future of the leisure and attractions sector is exciting, and this partnership allows us to enhance our product and expand the community of operators we support."
Making exceptional leisure experiences effortless
FuseMetrix powers some of the best-known businesses in the UK, such as Go Ape, Zip World, and Twycross Zoo. This strategic investment will accelerate its growth in the leisure and attractions industry.
The platform is designed to support the full breadth of the sector, from farm attractions and FECs to zoos and museums. In 2025, FuseMetrix processed more than 20 million online bookings on behalf of operators.
Building on this success, the company will be expediting product development in key areas.
It plans to increase support for self-service journeys, add functionality for F&B and retail management, and focus on advanced dynamic pricing capabilities, intelligent capacity-based opening controls, and AI-assisted insights within reporting and operational tools.
Together, these developments will help operators increase revenue, streamline operations, and continue to create outstanding experiences for their guests.
Doug Garden, finance director at Go Ape, says: "The team at FuseMetrix have been strong partners since we moved to their platform.
"With the new investment and continued strategic focus on the leisure sector, we’re excited to see how they continue to evolve the platform for the benefit of both existing customers and future operators.”
This investment reflects confidence in the company's current success and a pledge to develop FuseMetrix over the long-term.
Existing clients will benefit from a stronger partner invested in their long-term success, while operators considering adopting the platform can look forward to a growing community driven by purpose-built software, practical service, and a shared vision to make excellent leisure experiences effortless.
Event Network, a leading operator of retail stores for experiential attractions in the US, has lent its support to the American Alliance of Museums' annual Museums Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, which advocated for federal funding, tax policies, and legislation that benefit museums and cultural institutions in the United States.
The event on 24 February was attended byVeronica Nicholas, EVP of strategic growth, and Michael McCrory, director of marketing and brand management.
They stood alongside representatives from some of the company's current partnerships across the US, including The Franklin Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, Museum of Science, The Henry Ford, Intrepid Museum, Desert Botanical Garden, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Panel with Marilyn Jackson, AAM president & CEOPhoto courtesy of Todd Buchanan, Corporate Event Images
Marilyn Jackson, president & CEO of the American Alliance of Museums, says: “Event Network’s participation in Museums Advocacy Day exemplifies what it means to be a true partner to the museum field.
"Beyond their daily work as museum partners in retail operations and brand stewardship, they brought their voice and business perspective to Capitol Hill in support of museums.
"Industry partners who understand the broader economic ecosystem in which museums operate — and can speak authentically to that impact — strengthen our collective advocacy in powerful ways.
"We’re deeply grateful for Event Network’s leadership and partnership and look forward to continuing this work together."
Silver linings in challenging times
Prior to Museums Advocacy Day, Nicholas participated in a panel of museum leaders on the topic 'What’s Next'.
She presented data on the shared challenges of 2025, as well as the encouraging finding that Event Network’s stores’ overall per capita sales increased during this period. This indicates a willingness among guests to 'shop and support' at their local museums.
Nicholas also shared early 2026 data indicating that many of the attractions in Event Network's portfolio are seeing higher attendance than in the previous year.
"The main message I hoped to communicate was that we feel your frustration because we’re seeing it on our side, too," says Nicholas.
"We’re doing our best to overcome it in the retail space in order to deliver as much revenue as possible to our partners in these challenging times."
Advocating for the sector
The AAM sought to make three specific requests: first, to ensure Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding remained intact in the 2027 budget.
The primary source of federal funding for US libraries, museums, and cultural institutions, this vital support amounts to less than $1 per person per year.
It also requested that members of the House of Representatives join the newly formed bipartisan Museum Caucus.
Co-chaired by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), this was created last year to bring cultural attraction issues into the national conversation and to coordinate lawmakers’ efforts to support museum interests in federal policy.
Its third request was to share a new bill called the CREATIVE Act of 2025 (H.R. 6165).
This bill, which stands for ‘Capital, Repairs, and Employment for Art Talent to Improve Visibility Everywhere,’ was introduced in November 2025 to establish a grant scheme to increase job opportunities for artists and creative professionals, and to improve the quality and availability of arts facilities and arts-related programming.
Members of the House were asked to co-sponsor the bill, and Senators were encouraged to introduce similar legislation.
Serving the local economy
Event Network’s mission is to serve its partners by optimising their retail revenue potential and representing their missions and brands within their stores.
It is proud to add to that commitment by lending its voice to AAM’s Museums Advocacy Day in support of the partners and all cultural attractions across the US.
Nicholas and Michael joined AAM conference attendees to meet with members of Congress and participated in 14 meetings with House and Senate staffers.
Event Network's goals were to emphasise the importance of IMLS funding and highlight the economic impact of museums, which serve as an important layer of the local economy, not only providing on-site jobs but also supporting local artists and small businesses that supply merchandise.
Across the country, Event Network employs almost 3,000 constituents, whose livelihoods depend upon the existence of museums and cultural institutions.
Last year, Event Network launched a 'round up' donation initiative with Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals, inviting customers at more than 200 Event Network-operated hotel and resort gift stores across the US to round up their purchases and help support life-saving care for children in the local community.
LCI Productions, a leading multimedia show design and production company, has shared insights into its design and delivery for Port Lympne Illuminated, the first-ever festive trail at Port Lympne Safari Park in Kent, UK.
Showing from November 2025 to January 2026, this magical nighttime immersive experience not only introduced a new revenue stream but also expanded the park’s daily offering and created an experience visitors loved, with 72% saying they would return.
Tony Kelly, managing director of Port Lympne, says: "We were thrilled to see our first-ever light trail come to life and to watch guests experiencing the park in a completely new way.
"The response has been extraordinary, with families and returning visitors all telling us how magical it feels to wander through the illuminations with the Safari as its backdrop.
"Launching a nighttime experience of this scale within a working safari park is no small undertaking.
"We are incredibly proud of how successfully it has been delivered, with our conservation mission at the heart of every decision."
Designed for animal welfare
The trail development needed to respect Port Lympne's wildlife environment, which is one of the most sensitive in the UK and home to numerous endangered species, including rhinos, gorillas, and tigers.
Rob Paul,design director at LCI Productions, says: "This kind of light trail required careful planning. The aim was to build something completely original, including new characters, new IP, and design it in a way that worked alongside the animals and the landscape.
"The trail needed to evoke a sense of seasonal magic, while also ensuring the safety of the animals who call the park home.
"In a setting like Port Lympne, that’s non-negotiable. Every lighting element and every audio cue had to be carefully integrated so as not to disturb the animals, while still delivering moments of wonder for the guests."
LCI collaborated closely with animal handlers throughout the development of the trail to ensure installations were sensitively positioned and calibrated, considering all elements from light intensity and colour temperature to spatial audio placement and timing.
The park's existing routes, lighting, architecture, and facilities offered significant advantages in planning and helped make the integration of the trail seamless.
"The park already had established pathways that naturally guided the route," says Paul. "There were clear areas for food and beverage, refreshment points along the trail, and the layout made the experience highly accessible for wheelchair users and families with prams."
Wildlife, magic & grandeur
The completed 1.4 km trail offered a story-led journey that guided visitors through a series of unique environments. LCI delivered the entire creative and technical scope, including character design, media content, audio composition, lighting installations, and immersive theming across 22 zones.
Highlights included:
Fairy Flight. Introducing visitors to the illuminated world, this installation included a pathway lined with dancing fairy holograms, created using 12 x 65 cm holofans. The fairies appeared between the trees, drawing visitors deeper into the trail.
Enchanted Trees. Light engines and fibre optics wrapped around trees, forming glowing, root-like structures that responded visually to visitors' movement through the space.
Cathedral Tunnel. A 30-metre structure with a rising roofline that created a cathedral-like sense of scale.
Fairy Disco. Strategically located near the main F&B area, the Fairy Disco starred original character DJ Pixie Light, who appeared as a holographic illusion in a 15-minute animated sequence with a full lighting and effects package, including moving lights, mirror balls, LED bars, haze effects, and a JBL audio array.
Aurora Fields. 3,000 illuminated spheres and moving lights filled the undulating landscape with waves, swirls, and geometric patterns, and were synchronised to festive musical sequences.
Ice Tiger Forest. A carefully camouflaged 4 metre x 2 metre outdoor LED screen displayed a digital tiger that momentarily emerged from the shadows, accompanied by authentic tiger roars.
Winter Fantasy Walkthrough. A Victorian-era-inspired street scene featuring period lampposts and falling-snow effects that transported visitors into a festive storybook moment.
Grand Finale Show. This 10-minute water spectacular combined dancing fountains, moving lights, and an original musical score.
Early feedback found that 94% of visitors rated the trail as good to excellent. This response underscores the success of the inaugural season and illustrates how immersive seasonal attractions can create new revenue streams, even within one of the UK’s most sensitive wildlife environments.
Plans for a 2026 trail are already underway.
Last year, LCI Productions collaborated once again with Windsor Great Park Illuminated, adding bold AV, inventive storytelling, and character-led surprises to deliver the most extensive collection of new installations and interactive experiences in the seasonal light trail's history.
Chester Zoo has become the first UK zoo to gain international botanical garden status in recognition of its plant conservation work.
The Cheshire-based conservation charity is only the second zoo in Europe to receive an accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the global organisation dedicated to plant conservation.
Philip Esseen, head of plants at Chester Zoo, said the recognition "shows that our plant work has real conservation value".
The zoo is "caring for species tat are threatened with extinction in the wild", with a responsibility to protect and propagate them.
Chester Zoo cares for hundreds of plant species, including UK and exotic flora, many of which are not normally found at zoos.
In addition to the gardens and planted areas open to guests, the zoo's team keeps thousands of plants behind-the-scenes for conservation and research.
Chester Zoo caring for threatened species
Richard Hewitt, team manager for Chester Zoo’s plant nursery, said: "In some cases, we are caring for plants that barely exist anywhere else.
"For example, there are three species from an island in the Madeiran archipelago which have almost disappeared from botanical gardens.
"We’ve been entrusted with seeds by the Madeiran government to help prevent their extinction."
The zoo’s plant team is also involved in the propagation and re-planting of threatened UK species, including black poplar, described as the most endangered native timber tree in Britain.
As part of a wider wellbeing campaign, Chester Zoo has also been encouraging guests to spend more time in its gardens and green spaces.
"The gardens give people places to pause, rest and reflect," said Esseen.
He added: "Unlike animals, plants are something people can get very close to. You can touch them, smell them, listen to them in the wind."
Patricia Malcolm, head of membership and conservation services at BGCI, said the accreditation aims to motivate gardens "to do more for plant conservation and increase their impact on visitors".
The FuseMetrix team
Panel with Marilyn Jackson, AAM president & CEOPhoto courtesy of Todd Buchanan, Corporate Event Images
