CSUN Botanical Garden just trying to stay alive
The botanical garden at CSUN has recently faced online criticism from students regarding its upkeep and appearance. The garden staff said it’s due to being understaffed and insufficient funds.
A CSUN Reddit thread criticizing the garden gained traction, calling it “a neglected mess” and “an embarrassment.” Other students on the thread brought to light how understaffed the garden is, while many agreed with the original post.
Brenda Kanno and Ann Dorsey are both instructional support technicians and managers for both the garden and greenhouses. They are the only two staffed workers.
“The fact is, we don’t have enough people to do the work. We have to prioritize what we spend our time on,” Kanno said. “We can only do so much, and our main focus every day is keeping things alive.”
Kanno added how recent budget cuts have caused a bigger struggle for the garden and in maintaining it. According to CalMatters, CSU’s budgets for the 2025-2026 school year were cut by $144 million, bringing CSU’s budget gap to $2.3 billion.
Kanno said that the garden now relies heavily on the Friends of the Botanic Garden account, an account for donors to send funds for the garden, volunteer or to donate plants. However, those funds are running out.
Dorsey has been working at the botanical garden for 14 years. She said the garden’s growth has made it so that they cannot maintain it themselves anymore.
“Trees that maybe we could have taken care of ourselves were little,” Dorsey said. “Three years later, not so little.”
The solution to maintain the garden and its need for constant attention, according to Dorsey, is to have more hands on deck. When it comes to getting supplies, there is a hefty process to receive even the smallest things needed.
“There isn’t always a short turnaround on your request. Sometimes you have to make multiple requests,” Dorsey said. “Everyone’s been put in a tough situation, and we’re all just trying to deal with it as best we can. If 97% of your budget is salary, there’s not much we can do.”
The staff can only work a limited number of hours, which makes it difficult for them to dedicate the time that the garden needs.
“We can’t go over 40 hours a week,” Dorsey said. “It’s really frustrating to know there’s something that has to be done to not be able to spend the time.”
The botanical garden has been established on CSUN’s campus since 1959, and what originally started with native California plants has grown to a collection of 1,200 different plant species, according to CSUN’s Botanic Garden page.
Kanno expressed fear for the garden’s future, since there have been previous efforts to get rid of its presence.
“The fact of the matter is, botanic gardens, even at universities, are given less significance,” Kanno said. “I think we’ve always had a target on our back as far as the garden and the greenhouses.”
The most recent threat was right before the pandemic.
“There was some talk about putting a small stadium here,” Kanno said. “They have their priorities, and their priorities are to keep the campus viable.”
In response to the criticisms and comments made regarding the garden’s maintenance, both Kanno and Dorsey understand the reasoning behind it, but struggle with making it their top priority.
Kanno encourages anyone who cares for the garden to volunteer to see their work and struggles firsthand.
Students interested in volunteering can reach out to Kanno through her email address, brenda.kanno@csun.edu. To become more involved, the garden has a program titled Friends of the Garden, which includes a $30 donation for a full-year membership.
