Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection is victim of recession
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. (AP) - The recession has claimed public viewing of the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection, which has been on display at the Weyerhaeuser Co. headquarters for 20 years.
It was a gift from Weyerhaeuser to the state of Washington on its 100th birthday.
Weyerhaeuser has announced its collection of 60 bonsai on display at the company headquarters in Federal Way, Wash., will be closed to the public after Wednesday except for a brief reopening on Mother's Day weekend.
Weyerhaeuser spokesman Shannon Hughes told The News Tribune, "It's one of the many things that we're having to do during the economic uncertainty to save costs."
During the recession, Weyerhaeuser has been hit hard by the depressed demand for lumber to build homes. In 2009, the company has closed 14 lumber and manufacturing facilities and cut more than 1,000 jobs.
Full-time curator David De Groot will stay on the job to maintain the collection in hopes that it might someday return to public display.
According to Rick Peterson, the collection and the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden located next to it on the Weyerhaeuser campus have shared 30,000 visitors annually.
It was a gift from Weyerhaeuser to the state of Washington on its 100th birthday.
Weyerhaeuser has announced its collection of 60 bonsai on display at the company headquarters in Federal Way, Wash., will be closed to the public after Wednesday except for a brief reopening on Mother's Day weekend.
Weyerhaeuser spokesman Shannon Hughes told The News Tribune, "It's one of the many things that we're having to do during the economic uncertainty to save costs."
During the recession, Weyerhaeuser has been hit hard by the depressed demand for lumber to build homes. In 2009, the company has closed 14 lumber and manufacturing facilities and cut more than 1,000 jobs.
Full-time curator David De Groot will stay on the job to maintain the collection in hopes that it might someday return to public display.
According to Rick Peterson, the collection and the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden located next to it on the Weyerhaeuser campus have shared 30,000 visitors annually.