Erin Bird

Erin Bird has worked at Denver Botanic Gardens for 12 years and is the Interim Director of Marketing during a CEO transition. She champions the Gardens’ external storytelling and community programs that break down access barriers by managing the team that oversees advertising, media relations, social media, graphic design, website and community engagement. Bird is an accomplished communications leader utilizing strong skills in publicity, crisis management, writing, editing and public speaking to promote museums and the important work they do. Prior to working at the Gardens, she managed media relations at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and was a marketing event specialist at the flagship Marshall Field’s Department Store (now Macy’s) in Chicago. She has presented at multiple American Public Gardens Association conferences and has served on boards focused on the arts: the Colorado Committee for the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Metropolitan State University’s Center for Visual Art and the Art District on Santa Fe in Denver.

Heavyweights of the Water Garden: Inside the 2026 Waterlily Weigh-Off

By Erin Bird / October 23, 2026 / 0 Comments

Bok Tower Gardens’ 285.7-pound victory highlights a record-setting year for the Waterlily Weigh-Off How much weight can a waterlily really hold? Apparently, a lot more than most people would expect. A Victoria waterlily grown by Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, supported an astonishing 285.7 pounds during the 2026 Waterlily Weigh-Off, earning the garden […]

The Featherweight Waterlily Weigh-Off: Small Lilies, Big Laughs

By Erin Bird / October 29, 2025 / 0 Comments

Not every garden has a giant Victoria waterlily, but that doesn’t mean they can’t join the fun. Enter the Featherweight Bracket—a playful division of the Waterlily Weigh-Off where smaller lilies take center stage. These petite contenders, with leaves just a few inches across, may not hold a person (or even a pumpkin), but they sure […]

Waterlily Weigh-Off

By Erin Bird / October 28, 2025 / 0 Comments

From Experiment to International Phenomenon How It Began What started as a playful social media experiment at Denver Botanic Gardens has now blossomed into an international competition that captures the imagination of plant lovers around the world. The Waterlily Weigh-Off—our annual contest to test the buoyant strength of giant Victoria waterlily leaves wrapped up its […]