The Meandering Meadow is a meadow ecosystem located within the WCBG next to Paramecium Pond. Historically, the Meandering Meadow was maintained via biannual mowing and was a cool season grass meadow. WCBG Senior Gardens Horticulturist Anne Beckley saw the potential of this meadow and intiated the restoration and transformation of the space into a warm season, native plant forward meadow. The goals of the restoration project are to diversify the meadow, showcase native New England species, improve habitat for pollinators and wildlife, and enhance the beauty of the area.

The Kettle is an area in the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens named for the geological term that describes this type of landform. At the lowest point in The Kettle lies Ephemeral Pool, a type of wetland known as a vernal pool that has seasonal cycles of flooding and drying. Vernal pools are breeding ground for amphibians and insects that rely on the fish-free water for survival. Pre-dating the Botanic Gardens records, a concrete liner was installed in this area. Botanic Gardens worked with wetlands specialist Tom Biebighauser and contractor Tim Ward to remove the concrete liner and restore the area to a natural wetland habitat. 

Botany & Empire is an ongoing multimedia project tracing the cultural, scientific, and historical significance of plants in the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens. Since 2022, students have integrated diverse sources of knowledge to construct projects exploring the interaction of plants and colonial histories. The content of this exhibition to date represents the efforts of the students of ES 244: Botany, Ecology, and Empire (Spring 2022, Dr. Ashanti Shih) and ES/WGST 328: Naturecultures (Fall 2024 & 2025, Prof. Banu Subramaniam).