The last three months we have been very busy awarding our $1,000 Community Engagement Grants! In March, we awarded our CEG to the Lew Wallace Study so that they could purchase 4 magnolia trees for the property. According to legend, General Lew Wallace planted 4 magnolia trees on the property and 3 survive but are in decline. Larry Paarlberg, Director, said "Wallace was keenly interested in horticulture and developed both an arboretum of trees native to Indiana and a number of garden features that boasted unusual tropical plants." The new trees are in place and we look forward to seeing them bloom next spring!
Our April award went to NICHES to host a "spring cleaning" at the Bachner Preserve in southwestern Montgomery County. As you can see from the photo, these volunteers had a lot to do! It is unfortunate that our trails and creeks are sometimes used for dumping trash and we appreciate the efforts to make our county even more beautiful. The cleaning included invasive species removal, trail maintenance, trash pickup and creek clean-up.
Kids might not like to eat vegetables - but they sure do like to plant them! Our May CEG grant went to the Boys and Girls Club for their new garden project as well as their desire to "go green in '13." Rain barrels, a recycling dumpster and even motion sensors in the bathrooms are all part of their efforts reduce waste and help the environment.