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Isle
Botanical society offered many services to the conservatory including volunteer tour guides and gardeners, and was also involved in raising funds to maintain and support the conservatory operation through repairs, equipment, purchase of plant material, etc. In 2004, the Belle Isle Women's Committee was created and its first project was to upgrade Sunset Point. The non-profit Friends of the Belle Isle Aquarium was formed in 2005 with the goal of restoring Belle Isle's historic
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organization, was founded in 1972 and is dedicated to the upkeep and preservation of Belle Isle through cleaning and the ridding of invasive species on the island. In 1988, the Belle Isle
Botanical Society began raising money for projects to improve the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory. The Belle
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The Anna
Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is opened to the public free of charge, and operates mostly on the budget designated by local and state Governments. However, Belle Isle has long history of support through private organizations and donors. Volunteerism plays an important role for all of Belle
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In 2009, the four organizations put a plan in action to form a single organization that could pool all their efforts and ideas into a larger and more effective non-profit dedicated to improvement projects. Together, receiving assistance from the
Cultural Alliance for Southeastern Michigan and the
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The conservatory, originally known as the
Horticultural Building, opened on August 18, 1904, and is currently "the oldest, continually operating conservatory in the United States." Soon after its opening, it became a popular attraction, reaching an annual average of 1.5 million visitors in the
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can be found here, as well as a small waterfall located in the center. The Show house changes its display many times throughout the year and is also used for the conservatory's many flower shows and special events. The perennial gardens are located outside to the north of the vestibule.
522:, based in suburban Detroit, has played a key role in the merger. Kresge gave the four organizations $ 100,000, in 2009, and in 2010 another $ 100,000. Currently, there are five employees, one manager and a supervisor from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources that make up the
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Unit at the Belle Isle
Conservatory. The staff members are responsible for caring for all the plants in the Conservatory and the surrounding formal gardens. The Conservatory relies on volunteers for all its additional needs and workers.
261:, was designed by the noted firm of George D. Mason and Albert Kahn, and built between 1902 and 1904. Kahn modeled the building after architectural exhibitions and garden pavilions of the mid- to late-nineteenth century, most notably
448:. It was not part of the original design, but constructed in 1936. The rocky walls were created with 200 tons of moss-covered limestone boulders that were brought from the construction of the Livingstone Channel in the
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structures. 15 of the structures are used to care for the orchid, bromeliad, cactus, amaryllis and tropical plant collections. Five of the greenhouses are used by the
Golightly Career and Technical Center's
276:, the conservatory covers 13 acres (5.3 hectares), with a lily pond on its north side and perennial gardens on the west; the gardens house the Levi L. Barbour Memorial Fountain, designed by sculptor
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Opened in 1904, the Anna
Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is the oldest continually-running conservatory in the United States. It is named for Anna Scripps Whitcomb, who left her collection of 600
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gave her 600 orchids collection to the conservatory, which was therefore renamed in her honor on April 6, 1955. Many of these exotic orchids had been saved from
Britain throughout
355:). When a tree reaches the top of the dome it must be cut down, as they cannot be pruned to height. The Tropical house, 70 °F, contains fruiting plants and trees such as the
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280:. The Conservatory building is divided into five distinct sections: the Palm house (inside the domed center), the Tropical house (South Wing), the Cactus house and
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242:, the island is entirely within the U.S. The park itself consists of 13 acres (5.3 hectares) of preserved land for the conservatory and its botanical garden.
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mid-1920s. In 1953, the original wooden frame of the central dome was replaced by one made of iron and aluminum; the operation cost circa $ 500,000.
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Isle. Specifically, four major volunteer organizations have been vital to the livelihood of the island park. Friends of Belle Isle, a non-profit
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284:(North Wing), and the Show house (East Wing). The main feature of the building is the 85 feet (26 m) high central dome, which houses
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Program for high school students in the metro
Detroit area. These greenhouses help train for post-graduation jobs as green's keepers,
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Michigan Nonprofit Association, they have joined forces to form a single all-volunteer organization named the
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The Palm house, maintained at 70 °F, is housed under the dome, and contains a variety of
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In April 1953, Anna Scripps Whitcomb gave her 600 orchids collection to the conservatory
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that are maintained by volunteers and are held in the aquarium basement during winter.
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and bloodleaf banana, and tropical flowering plants such as the pink powderpuff (
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AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture
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Old postcard of the conservatory, showing the original wooden structure
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The lily pond is located between the conservatory building and the
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987:"A Four-Group Merger Creates New Conservancy in Metro Detroit"
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is sunken to provide cooler conditions and more humidity.
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Greenhouse and botanical garden in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
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Not to be confused with the non-profit organization, the
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Located to the east of the conservatory building are 20
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The Belle Isle Conservatory, along with the neighboring
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230:, a 982-acre (397-hectare) island park located on the
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Located in the center of the 982-acre (397-hectare)
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Example of an information plate at the Conservatory
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901:Rodriguez, Michael; Featherstone, Thomas (2003).
817:American City: Detroit Architecture, 1845-2005
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845:. Local Stew: West Bloomfield. Archived from
375:). The Cactus house, 62 °F, is lined in
8:
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820:. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
493:Non-profit involvement & volunteerism
936:. Belle Isle Conservancy. Archived from
878:. Belle Isle Conservancy. Archived from
752:. White House of Belle Isle. p. 11.
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777:Hill, Eric J.; Gallagher, John (2002).
766:. White House of Belle Isle. p. 6.
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989:. Non Profit Quarterly. Archived from
904:Detroit's Belle Isle: Island Park Gem
556:The Henry A. Johnson Memorial Gardens
7:
1050:Buildings and structures in Michigan
728:"Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory"
690:"Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory"
189:
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1035:Buildings and structures in Detroit
349:) and the Canary Island date palm (
214:(commonly and locally known as the
568:Pathway through the Tropical house
544:Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
330:, including the Chinese fan palm (
212:Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
29:Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
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194:Temporarily closed for renovation
1055:Greenhouses in the United States
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460:. The pond is home to Japanese
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1040:Tourist attractions in Detroit
1:
1045:Botanical gardens in Michigan
405:), the silver dollar cactus (
934:"Activities and Attractions"
787:Wayne State University Press
379:rock and holds a variety of
652:Flowers in the Conservatory
288:and other tropical plants.
240:Canada–United States border
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1060:Belle Isle Park (Michigan)
640:Cactus at the Conservatory
580:Entrance to the Show house
18:
764:Belle Isle Visitors Guide
750:Belle Isle Visitors Guide
238:. While located near the
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730:. Belle Isle Conservancy
387:, including jellybeans (
253:History and architecture
203:belleisleconservancy.org
346:Schefflera actinophylla
216:Belle Isle Conservatory
136:; 120 years ago
34:Belle Isle Conservatory
592:Show house (East Wing)
516:Belle Isle Conservancy
343:), the umbrella tree (
336:), the fishtail palm (
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265:and the Palm House at
126:13 acres (5.3 ha)
21:Belle Isle Conservancy
520:The Kresge Foundation
414:Cephalocereus senilis
411:), "old man" cactus (
305:Anna Scripps Whitcomb
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107:42.34222°N 82.97944°W
249:to Detroit in 1955.
134:August 18, 1904
966:on 19 November 2013
446:Belle Isle Aquarium
366:Calliandra brevipes
352:Phoenix canariensis
333:Livistona chinensis
278:Marshall Fredericks
259:Belle Isle Aquarium
182:10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (
112:42.34222; -82.97944
103: /
940:on 3 February 2013
909:Arcadia Publishing
882:on 18 January 2013
417:) and jade plant (
390:Sedum pachyphyllum
369:) and peace lily (
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263:The Crystal Palace
993:on 6 January 2014
361:calamondin orange
236:Detroit, Michigan
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174:State of Michigan
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1018:Official website
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995:. Retrieved
991:the original
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968:. Retrieved
964:the original
960:"Who We Are"
954:
942:. Retrieved
938:the original
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884:. Retrieved
880:the original
851:. Retrieved
847:the original
843:"Belle Isle"
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732:. Retrieved
693:. Retrieved
524:Floriculture
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431:such as the
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309:World War II
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876:"Fun Facts"
785:. Detroit:
479:Agriscience
468:Greenhouses
454:Amherstburg
395: [
267:Kew Gardens
226:located on
157:Albert Kahn
110: /
85:Coordinates
1029:Categories
997:20 January
970:20 January
944:20 January
918:0738523151
886:20 January
695:22 January
658:References
500:grassroots
474:greenhouse
385:succulents
357:common fig
286:palm trees
228:Belle Isle
220:greenhouse
141:1904-08-18
98:82°58′46″W
95:42°20′32″N
60:greenhouse
604:Palm Tree
487:arborists
440:Lily pond
433:alsophila
163:Etymology
814:(2005).
508:aquarium
483:florists
321:tropical
149:Designer
78:Michigan
66:Location
853:16 July
801:P. 264.
734:17 July
531:Gallery
458:Ontario
425:Fernery
423:). The
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339:Caryota
282:Fernery
247:orchids
234:within
218:) is a
199:Website
139: (
74:Detroit
923:P. 51.
915:
832:P. 21.
824:
793:
315:Botany
222:and a
191:Status
155:&
131:Opened
616:Ferns
452:near
429:Ferns
403:]
381:cacti
341:mitis
328:palms
324:trees
999:2013
972:2013
946:2013
913:ISBN
888:2013
855:2014
822:ISBN
791:ISBN
736:2016
697:2013
383:and
377:tufa
326:and
210:The
179:Open
123:Area
58:and
52:Type
462:koi
184:EST
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186:)
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
