The Garden Club of America is a national leader in the fields of horticulture

[Frankswats]

Large numbers of volunteers have shown up to help clean up the property, and the arboretum was able to have a partial reopening seven weeks after the storm, though the woodland trails are still closed. As with most nature centers this year, the Iowa Arboretum has been especially important as a refuge for social distancing, and with the help of the GCA’s grant, the organization will be able to move forward with replanting. The GCA established the Restoration Initiative in 2017 in response to the urgent needs caused by catastrophic storms, hurricanes, floods, fires, and mudslides to assist member clubs involved in public landscape restoration and conservation projects. Eleven grants, totaling $110,000, have been awarded to clubs in California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. https://www.gcamerica.org/ Members of The Westport Garden Club (WGC) took advantage of a beautiful fall day to participate in seed gathering at Jerry Smith Park, the largest remaining tract of remnant prairie on the Missouri side of Kansas City. The day’s bounty included seeds from American Germander, Little Bluestem, Rattlesnake Master, and more. Jerry Smith Prairie Park is a remnant of an original American landscape – tallgrass prairie. At least fifteen million acres of Missouri, covering more than a third of the state, were prairie at the time of European settlement. Bison, elk, greater prairie-chickens, and many other animals roamed across these grasslands. With abundant wildlife and up to 800 different kinds of grasses, wildflowers, and other plants, prairie is one of the most biologically rich ecosystems on Earth.