The Vallarta Botanical Garden attends the 2026 American Public Gardens Association (APGA) Annual Conference

By Dr. Cristobal Sánchez

June 17, 2026

The 2026 APGA Annual Conference was held in San Francisco from June 8 to 12, 2026, at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel and its host gardens: Filoli Historic House and Gardens and the San Francisco Botanical Garden.

The American Public Gardens Association (APGA) is a non-profit professional organization that brings together public gardens, botanical gardens, arboreta, and their teams. Its mission is to promote excellence in management, conservation, education, and sustainability through collaboration between institutions and industry professionals.

The program included lectures, workshops, local tours, an exhibit hall, and special events designed for public garden and horticulture professionals, with presentations and activities split between the host hotel and the host gardens.

Spotlighting Plant Conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Vallarta Botanical Garden participated in a panel discussion titled “Plant Conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean.” This session was presented by Dr. Cristóbal Sánchez, Technical Director of the Vallarta Botanical Garden, and Lina Ramírez, Regional Conservation Initiatives Coordinator at the Naples Botanical Garden.

The talk highlighted regional conservation case studies, including project updates on native oak conservation (Quercus cualensis and Q. tuitensis), as well as efforts to preserve Magnolia vallartensis and Pinus vallartensis. These initiatives are carried out by the Vallarta Botanical Garden with financial support from the Franklinia Foundation, ArbNet, BGCI, and the International Oak Society.

Fostering Equitable Regional Collaborations

This presentation aimed to represent Mexican and Latin American networks—including the Caribbean and Central American Botanic Gardens Network, led by Lina Ramírez, and the Latin American Botanical Association, where the Vallarta Botanical Garden serves as Vice President—to emphasize the importance of equitable collaborations among our diverse regions.

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