UCR Botanic Gardens will be topic for SAGE Society

Jodie Holt will present UC Riverside Botanic Gardens: A Nature Oasis in the Inland Empire when the SAGE Society of Hemet meets at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Ramona Room behind Miller-jones Mortuary, 1501 W. Florida Ave., Hemet.

Holt became director of the UCR Botanic Gardens after retiring in 2016 from more than 30 years as a professor at UCR. She grew up in Georgia and received her Bachelor of Science degree in botany from University of Georgia. She moved to California for graduate school and received her master’s and doctorate degrees in botany from UC Davis.

During her career at UCR, Holt managed a research program on ecology of invasive exotic weeds, served as chairman of the botany and plant sciences department and retired as divisional dean of agriculture and natural resources, according to a news release.

She received the UCR Distinguished Teaching Award in 2008 and has done botanical consulting, including for the movie “Avatar,” according to the news release.

In her presentation, Holt will talk about the importance of gardens and arboreta around the world, the history of the UCR Botanic Gardens and current programs. She also will talk about

how being director of the UCR Botanic Gardens has given her an opportunity to combine her passion for botany, outdoor education, math, philanthropy and more in a second career.

The UCR Botanic Gardens, founded in 1963, house a curated collection of more than 3,500 species and 10,000 specimens, themed and geographic gardens, buildings, trails, a plant nursery

and more, according to the news release.

The SAGE Society program is open to the public and will be preceded by social time starting at 1:30 p.m.

PHOTO BY RACHEL LUNA In this photo from Nov. 9, 2016, Jodie Holt, director of the UCR Botanic Gardens, sits in the gardens. Holt will give a presentation on the UCR Botanic Gardens on Tuesday for the SAGE Society of Hemet.