About the Beal Scholars
Each semester, six Beal Scholars join the Beal Botanical Garden team. Coming from diverse majors, scholars design an interdisciplinary project which contributes to the garden’s mission and enhances their professional portfolio. Because sustainability is at the heart of the Beal Botanical Garden’s mission, scholars gain valuable experience in applying sustainability principles through the lens of their discipline(s). Scholars are mentored by the garden’s Education Program Director and other staff and receive coursework credit where applicable.
Your Gift Counts
Only $15 supports a Beal Scholar for one hour, $450 supports a scholar for a week, and $5,400 supports a scholar for the entire summer. Consider supporting:
A student videographer creating videos for our wintertime virtual greenspace events across campus to improve student mental health and raise awareness of mental health resources.- A student artist building a new collection showcasing how plants and plant products support and inspire art.
- A student forester documenting trees along the Red Cedar River, supporting our campus commitment to protecting the riverside and local plant and animal communities.
- A student entomologist documenting how our pollinator garden is supporting native pollinators and how to improve and focus our efforts.
- A student animator or engineer bringing augmented reality to the garden, allowing us to digitally showcase plants that we can’t, or shouldn’t, grow in the garden.
Support Students Like Elliot
Your gift gives students the opportunity to explore their interests and gain real-world sustainability experience. Students like Elliot, an Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Education major, will have a paid opportunity to shape the garden and campus. Elliot crafted a well-being journal called the Pocket that visitors can pick up in the garden and use to connect with nature.
Who We Are
Established in 1873, the Beal Botanical Garden is the oldest, continuously operated university botanical garden in the United States and illuminates the interconnectedness between people, plants and place. This living laboratory in the heart of MSU’s campus encourages learning and exploration of the natural world. With a collection of over 2,000 plants from around the world situated in the heart of MSU’s campus along the Red Cedar River, this lovely natural landscape is perfect for collaborative programming to advance research, teaching, well-being and public engagement.
Make a Gift by Mail:
University Advancement
Spartan Way
535 Chestnut Road, Room 300
East Lansing, MI 48824
*Make check payable to Michigan State University and write “Appeal 25OOPCF1GTBLSC” in the note section.