Portraits of Acadia: Geneva Langley

Geneva Langley, Supervisory Gardener, working in the Wild Gardens of Acadia.

NPS photo by Brady Richards

I am the Supervisory Gardener at the Wild Gardens of Acadia. I have worked at the Gardens since April of 2009.

I have an educational background in botany and ecology, and years of work experience as a gardener. I also worked seasonally in the Vegetation Program at Acadia for 11 years. When Park staff and the Wild Gardens Committee first discussed the gardener position in the early 2000s, I remember thinking that it would be such a great job to have. Several years later, when funding for my Park position lapsed, I applied for and was accepted to be the Wild Gardens gardener!

Ferns begin to emerge in early May in the Wild Gardens of Acadia.

Photo by Ashley L. Conti, Friends of Acadia

The Wild Gardens of Acadia display close to 400 species of native plants found in Acadia National Park. In 1961, the Wild Gardens began as a location in which to showcase native plants grown as part of a project sponsored by the Bar Harbor Garden Club. The Gardens have evolved to become a “living museum” of thirteen different habitats visitors may encounter within the Park. In 2010, the Wild Gardens of Acadia became an official committee of Friends of Acadia in partnership with Acadia National Park.

My job is to maintain the Wild Gardens in cooperation with the Wild Gardens Committee, taking care of the native plants and landscape needs in the Gardens from April to November. I communicate the importance of native plants to the public, answering questions and sharing any news such as wildlife sightings or interesting plants in bloom or fruit. I also supervise an intern during the summer months and coordinate volunteer projects throughout the season.

Gardening basket filled with weeds and gardening tools.

NPS photo by Brady Richards

Native plant gardens in National Parks are rare. I believe the Wild Gardens of Acadia helps our visitors form a deeper connection with the Park. Acadia has a unique flora in such a diversity of habitats ranging from wetlands to subalpine communities, bogs to rocky headlands. Learning about the plants that grow in these different areas helps visitors gain a greater understanding of natural communities and of the animals that rely on them for food and shelter.

The most memorable experiences at the Wild Gardens involve our wonderful volunteers, especially at the beginning and end of the season. It is a labor of love to ready the Gardens for opening in the spring, cleaning up from the winter storms and uncovering the first spring ephemerals. Many hands also prepare the Gardens for winter, caging species sensitive to browse, tucking the beds in with leaves, and taking down and storing signs before a well-earned winter’s rest.

Acadia is a part of me. I feel responsible for its protection and conservation. I also love finding solitude beneath the trees where I can forget the distractions, the to-do lists and demands on my time, and just be quietly in nature.

– Geneva Langley, Supervisory Gardener

Geneva picks weeds from a garden plot.

NPS photo by Brady Richards

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