Norwich – The Chelsea Gardens Foundation will host an informal meet-and-greet session Thursday to introduce its new part-time director of community engagement and to outline plans for upcoming programs to promote the long-planned botanical gardens project in Mohegan Park.

Richard R. Larkin of Stonington was hired in January by the foundation board of directors for the position and has an office in the new Foundry 66 shared workspace facility at 66 Franklin St. in downtown Norwich.

The meet-and-greet will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Courtyard Marriott, 181 W. Town St. Email reservations are required for the event at chelseagardens@gmail.com.

Larkin said Friday more than 30 people have responded to the invitation thus far, including city officials and former Chelsea Gardens volunteers. Reservations were supposed to close last week, but will remain open until Wednesday, the day before the event, Larkin said.

Hearing from former volunteers was one of the goals the board had in hiring Larkin to promote the project and launch fundraising efforts. Larkin is a 40-year veteran professional fundraiser for an arboretum, museums, aquariums, colleges and cultural arts entities across the country.

Foundation president Hugh Schnip will introduce Larkin and they will discuss upcoming plans, Larkin said, including a lecture series on gardening topics, bus trips to botanical gardens in the region and possibly gardening demonstrations. Larkin said he hopes to collaborate with other groups to run joint programs.

“It will give me a chance to greet people and tell what we're doing in the next six months,” Larkin said of Thursday's event.

The Chelsea Gardens Foundation's plan to develop an 80-acre botanical garden on Mohegan Park land leased from the city and was launched more than 20 years ago. The project had moved slowly through environmental studies and planning permits over the years without opposition.

But an outcry erupted when the foundation cleared trees from a six-acre area at the proposed project center in fall of 2015 without funding to begin construction. Opponents filed suit in New London Superior Court, but the legal challenge was dismissed.

The master plan for the entire project was estimated at $80 million, with a first phase including a welcome center, year-round butterfly pavilion, classrooms and nature trails estimated at $20 million.

c.bessette@theday.com