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UBC BOTANICAL GARDEN ANDCENTRE FOR PLANT RESEARCHRosaline Sturdy AmphitheatreCentre for Plant ResearchThe Centre for Plant Research maintains an active presence in theCanadensys Project, a Canadian multi-institution biological collectionsdatabase project. The UBC component is led by Dr. Sean Grahamwith research in the Garden led by Beryl Zhuang. Daniel Mosquin,Research Manager, has led the creation of the Garden’s database, a keyoutput of the Canadensys Project, while Eric La Fountaine, CollectionsTechnician and Zhuang have led the review of the Garden’s collectionswith support from Douglas Justice, the Garden’s Associate Director andCurator of Collections.With the support of a donor, the Garden and Centre have funded aPhysic Garden Research Assistantship to document species in theGarden collections with known medicinal uses, contribute DNAbarcodes to the International Barcode of Life, and complete thecollection of herbarium vouchers for known medicinal species withinthe Garden for deposit in the UBC Herbarium. At the time of printing,this assistantship has yet to be taken up.UBC Botanical Garden CollectionRecognized by Botanic GardensConservation InternationalOf the 200 or so taxa of maples (Acer spp.) and close relatives knownworldwide, over 10% (26) are considered endangered or criticallyendangered. In a recent assessment by Botanic Gardens ConservationInternational (BGCI), the collection of maples curated by the Universityof British Columbia Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Researchwas ranked #2 in conservation importance worldwide in publicgardens, second only to the collection at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum.Roseline Sturdy Amphitheatre OpensOn June 19, 2010, friends and family of the late Roseline Sturdygathered at the UBC Botanical Garden’s beautiful new amphitheatrenamed in her memory.A long-time supporter of the Garden, Roseline Sturdy passed away in2008. Her husband, Morgan, generously donated a large portion of thefunds needed to build the amphitheatre.Located in the northeast corner of the Garden, the Roseline SturdyAmphitheatre provides an intimate, unique environment for lectures,plays, musical performances, and wedding ceremonies.The theatre consists of a performance area surrounded by a curving,rammed-earth wall, and rising tiers of polished concrete that canseat up to 250 people. It also features a stunning stainless steel waterfeature created by internationally recognized artist William Pye.At the June event, three actors from the Fredrick Wood Theatreperformed an excerpt from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night todemonstrate the theatre’s acoustics.“This amphitheatre is the first of its kind in Vancouver,” said PatrickLewis, Director of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for PlantResearch. “We’re very excited to be able to provide a facility that willcontribute to the city’s cultural scene.”While the amphitheatre is now open, it’s still in need of donor supportfor finishing touches, such as lighting for the pathways, improvingwheelchair access and building washrooms.22 Faculty of Land and Food Systems Annual Report 2009 | 2010