Visitors of all ages fed the koi, gazed across the pond and walked along the paths at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on Friday, Oct. 29, a couple of weeks after the garden’s re-opening.
Mary Sramek, who was recently hired in May, is the director of the Earl Burns Japanese Garden. where she and her team spent the summer working to develop an electronic admissions system that would allow the garden to fully reopen.
“We’ve been ready to open to the public this whole time,” Sramek said. “We could’ve been open even before students and staff were able to come back to campus.”
Sramek said her biggest restriction to re-opening was developing software that allowed guests to make reservations to visit the garden. She said she decided to model the electronic system implemented by the Student Recreation and Wellness Center for the garden’s own reservation process.
“We use the same program that they use. We have a mobile app and now a website that allows people to make reservations,” Sramek said.
The Japanese Garden is free to the public and only requires a booked reservation prior to visiting, which is good for a group of up to six people. Guests can even reserve a spot to feed the koi.
Eva Viss, an AV technician for a local church, sat on the edge of the pond with her four-year-old son, William Burton. Together, they enjoyed watching the koi swim up to them, ready to be pet.
“You can always go by a pond or a lake and see ducks,” Viss said. “But the atmosphere is so different here, especially for him.”
Viss said her son has autism and is grateful they can visit the garden to get away from the noisy city. Viss said she plans to have more family visits to the garden with her son and girlfriend.
The secluded location of the garden provides a calming, quiet atmosphere. Araceli Velasco, who had just finished one of the garden’s yoga classes, said she appreciated the surrounding nature and water. Most of all, Velasco said she loved to pet the fish.
“I’m happy that they come up to you,” Velasco said. “I love animals. Every time I see I see an animal, I want to pet them.”
The garden recently held a “Flexibility, Mindfulness, and Gratitude” session led by LifeFit director Ayla Donlin. Though this program was only temporary, potential yoga advocates can still sign up for Zen Yoga at the garden, with sessions on Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. Classes are $10 for CSULB students and staff/faculty, as well as Japanese Garden members, and $15 for the general public.
The Japanese Garden also hosts a monthly Sustainability Speaker Series where different experts lead discussions on different topics of sustainability. Algalita’s education director, Anika Ballent, will visit the garden on Tuesday, Nov. 16 to discuss ways to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean.
Students are welcome to visit during the Review and Revive Student Study Hour, where they will be given a tatami mat, a tray and a back support as they sit and study in the garden. The WiFi in the garden has a poor connection, but Sramek said that she and her team are working on providing a stronger connection for the next academic year.
More information about the Japanese Garden and all of its offered programs can be found on the garden’s website.
