Visitor Education and Inspiration
We are an unforgettable experience, engaging and educating visitors about the wonder of plants and importance of protecting nature
Visitor Education and Inspiration by the numbers:
Some of our current projects in this area include:
Visitor Experience
The everyday wonder
of the Gardens
Youth Education
Our “Young
Naturalists” Program
University Practicantes
Training the next
generation of botanists
Citizen Science
Igniting our connection to nature
Your 2026 donations to our Visitor Education and Inspiration program area will support investments including:
- hiring more staff to offer more guided tours on a range of topics
- upgrading our capacity for educational events for the public, including better AV equipment and hosting more events throughout the year
- allowing us to welcome Mexican schoolchildren for field trips to the Gardens free of charge
- investing in improved signage throughout the Gardens
- improving our overall accessibility for visitors with disabilities
Link is for tax-deductible donations in the USA. For other geographies or any questions related to philanthropic opportunities, please contact our Head of Fundraising, Christopher Jacobs, by email at christopherj@vbgardens.org
Visitor Experience
The everyday wonder of the Gardens
As one of the most popular activities in the Puerto Vallarta region, the Botanical Gardens welcome tens of thousands of guests every year.
We hope the beauty of the Gardens inspires a renewed appreciation for the wonder of nature and value of biodiversity in our visitors.
We maintain a year-round program of visitor education and hope to empower our visitors to become advocates for biodiversity and environmental sustainability wherever they call home.
Our plant collections spotlight both endemic and exotic plants, as well as birds and pollenating insects. Guided tours and signage enhance the visitor experience, and we collaborate with various citizen science platforms for further engagement.
Throughout the year we offer special events such as the Chocolate, Coffee & Vanilla Festival, Hummingbird Week, Birds & Nature Festival, and more with free activities and partnerships with other environmental organizations from the Bay of Banderas.
Youth Education
Our “Young Naturalists” Program
Vibrant and resilient natural ecosystems depend on the stewardship of their local communities, and today’s children are tomorrow’s conservation leaders.
Through our Young Naturalists program, we run environmental education workshops in local schools and receive thousands of local students annually on field trips to the Gardens for free guided tours, bird watching, and interaction with the botanists, gardeners, and biologists on staff
In the last year alone, more than 1,400 students were engaged with botanical programing. We hope to seed a love of nature in the next generation that will flourish just like our flowers.
This program is made possible through your philanthropic donations, which allow us to provide the tours and lunches for the students at no charge.
University Practicantes (interns)
Training the next generation of leaders
The Vallarta Botanical Gardens is one of the leading private organizations devoted to botany, conservation, and science in Mexico. We have partnerships with 7 universities to bring undergraduate and graduate students here to the Gardens to work with and learn from our staff as part of their studies, at no cost to the students.
These “practicas profesionales” (internships) provide hands-on experience to prepare students for their careers after graduation, and inspire them to pursue work in botany, conservation, and science.
We currently have agreements to host student practicantes from the following universities:
-
Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG)
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Centro Universitario UTEG
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Instituto Tecnológico de Bahía de Banderas (TecNM campus Bahía de Banderas)
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Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco (UAM-X)
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Centro de Estudios Universitarios Arkos (CEUArkos)
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Tecnológico Superior de Jalisco (Red TecMM)
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Universidad de Especialidades (UNE)
If you are student at one of these schools interested in a practica professional with the Gardens, please contact: cristobals@vbgardens.org
At this time, unfortunately we are unable to accommodate most requests for internships, thesis research, or student volunteers from outside our partner universities, but please reach out with your specific inquiry.
Citizen Science
Igniting our connection to nature
Citizen science is the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge. Through citizen science, people share and contribute to data monitoring and collection programs.