reclaimed wood from urban trees The garden hosted its first International Climate Change Forum on that day, featuring national and international experts, including Dr. Ashok Khosla, former chairman on the UNEP; Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund; Mary Grade, former regional administrator for EPA region 5; Suzanne Malec-McKenna, commissioner of the Department of the Environment for the City of Chicago; John Rowe, chief executive officer of the Exelon Corporation; Arthur J. Gibson, vice president of environment, health & safety for Baxter International; and Arthur Armishaw, chief technology and services officer for HSBC—North America. On June 5 of each year, the garden and other venues around the world highlight resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and lifestyles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation, and eco-friendly consumption. Sustainability The first generation of sustainable gardens at the Chicago Botanic Garden were the victory gardens of World Wars I and II. Today's gardens incorporate food and paper scrap composting, sustainable irrigation, and a minimal use of fertilizer and pesticides. The Chicago Botanic Garden also encourages others to garden sustainably by composting food waste, installing backyard rain barrels, using native plants, removing invasive species, and establishing perennials. The Windy City Harvest program offers workshops in sustainable urban horticulture and urban agriculture. In 2010, the Corporate Roundtable on Sustainability was established to encourage companies to act sustainably. Budburst BudBurst is a nationwide initiative to help scientists understand the effects of climate change on plants by recording the timing of leafing, flowering, and fruiting (also known as phenological events), of a variety of plant species. The project started as a three-month pilot program in 2007. Thousands of observations have been amassed in subsequent years from students, gardeners, and others citizen scientists in all 50 states. When combined with other studies on insects, birds, and other pollinators, BudBurst aims to help scientists measure asynchronous plant-pollinator activities in light of climate change. Honors and awards In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the 'Award for Garden Excellence', given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices. In 2012, The Chicago Botanic Garden was chosen as one of 10 "Great Place" (Public Space) for providing food locally, excellence in design, education and outreach, and sustainability by the American Planning