Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
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The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (279 acres) is a public botanical garden devoted entirely to native plants, and located at 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, Texas.
Lady Bird Johnson and Actress Helen Hayes founded this organization in 1982 to protect and preserve North America's native plants and natural landscapes. First as the National Wildflower Research Center and later as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the mission has been to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants and landscapes. Every day, the Wildflower Center brings life to Mrs. Johnson's vision in its theme gardens, woodlands and sweeping meadows as well as in internationally influential research.
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[edit] About the Wildflower Center
Decades ago, Mrs. Johnson recognized that our country was losing its natural landscapes and its natural beauty. As much as 30 percent of the world's native flora is at risk of extinction. The Wildflower Center was intended to help preserve and restore that beauty and the biological richness of North America. Since then, the Center has become one of the nation's most credible research institutions and effective advocates for native plants.
The Center's gardens, open every day except Monday to the public, display the native plants of the Central Texas Hill Country. The Center's Plant Conservation Program protects the ecological heritage of Texas by conserving its rare and endangered flora.
The Center's Native Plant Information Network (NPIN), is the largest clearinghouse of native plant information in the country. NPIN's native plant database features horticultural and botanical information on more than 7,000 species. It has a simple and efficient interface that allows users to find plants by name, flower period, distribution, growing conditions, growth form or a combination of traits. NPIN also provides an ever expanding image gallery of more than 17,000 images, a national suppliers directory, national organizations directory, national event calendar, clearinghouse publications, and an ask the expert feature where visitors can submit questions.
Its Land Restoration Program uses the science of healing and renewing damaged, degraded, and even destroyed ecological systems to restore balance to the landscape. It offers consulting services for corporate and governmental clients.
The Center also offers extensive education programs for children and adults.
[edit] Vision
The native wildflowers, plants and landscapes of each unique region make an essential contribution to our natural and national heritage. Gardens, neighborhoods, roadways, campuses, parks and other open spaces are defined by the regionally native plants and plant communities that exist there. Native plants create our sense of place, sustain our natural environment and enrich our lives.
[edit] Other programs
- Brown Center for Environmental Education inspires people to reconnect with the land. It provides teacher training, a variety of lectures, workshops and children's programs.
- Horticulture Program maintains the Center's gardens and oversees the propagation of native plants. We aim to increase the diversity of native plant material available to people across the country.
- Volunteer Programs provide opportunities for young and old alike.
- Facility Rentals provide the opportunity for the public to rent space at the Wildflower Center for everything from weddings to meeting space.
- Memberships include free admission to the Wildflower Center, advance notice of classes and events, special rates for many workshops, a subscription to the Wildflower magazine, and a 10 percent discount at the Wildflower Center's Store and on the plant sales.
- Millennium Seed Bank Project The Wildflower Center also taking part in the Millennium Seed Bank Project. This worldwide effort aims to safeguard 24,000 plant species from around the globe against extinction. The project is orgainized by the Seed Conservation Department of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
On June 20, 2006, The University of Texas System Board of Regents announced a plan to incorporate the Wildflower Center into The University of Texas at Austin.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ University of Texas at Austin (June 20, 2006). University of Texas System Regents authorize union of The University of Texas at Austin, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-07-02.
