Gala

Making An Impact

HOW DOES MY GIFT MAKE AN IMPACT?

Climate extremes. Water shortages. Invasive species. As we mark the 100th birthday of Lady Bird Johnson and the 30th Anniversary of the Wildflower Center, our work has never been more important or more relevant. With your support, the Wildflower Center carries out its mission through education, conservation, research and demonstration, and we're making a difference. Some highlights from the past year:

Education

Teaching the world about native plants

• Our online native plant database was used more than 4 million times
• A record 5,252 children and their families attended Nature Nights
• Mr. Smarty Plants answered 1,210 questions from around the U.S.
• 172 school and youth groups visited the Center

Conservation

Protecting the future

• Collected and banked more than 80,000 seeds from 79 species of native Texas plants
• Collected and banked 10,950 seeds from threatened and endangered species
• Trained 380 citizen scientists to identify invasive species and endangered or threatened native species

Research

Applying science to landscape design

• Introduced HABITURF™ turf grass seed mix, a mixture of native grass species that outperformed common non-native lawn species and single-species native lawns in our research
• Completed 10 years of field research on land management techniques ranchers can use to restore native grasses, and published papers in six scientific journals
• Began a 3-year study funded by Huntsman International on whether the water-handling capacity of green roofs can be improved for use in warmer climates

Demonstration

Providing an example

• More than 75,000 people visited the Wildflower Center during a year of extreme heat and drought
• Broke ground for the 16-acre Mollie Steves Zachry Texas Arboretum, opening in May 2012
• Participated in 13 major consulting projects showcasing native plants and sustainable landscape design
• Worked with 157 pilot projects seeking certification as Sustainable Sites