The Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners are proud to announce this year’s recipients of NWLAMG Community Grants. NWLAMG awards grants to organizations and municipalities that support beautification and horticultural education within our community. Of particular interest are projects that make a difference in the community, that are sustainable, and involve collaboration among local organizations.
The NWLA Master Gardeners awarded a total of $17,260. The winners of the community grant program are:
American Rose Society – $700 – The American Rose Society’s grant will go towards the new Cleo Barnwell Garden of Pollinators and Rose Companions, which is one of the gardens within the American Rose Center. The garden will provide an abundance of pollen and nectar with the goal of attracting and sustaining birds, bees and butterflies to the garden.
Ark-Le-Tex Herb Society – $3,000 –The Ark-La-Tex Herb Society has maintained an herb garden at the American Rose Center since 1992, and is in the process of moving their gardens to a more accessible location within the center. The new herb gardens will become a robust teaching tool for the local community and will feature many varieties of herbs.
Catholic Charities of North Louisiana- $500 – Catholic Charities will use their grant to expand and maintain their community garden to help clients and community neighbors reap the benefits of growing healthy food as part of educational cooking classes.
Centenary College of Louisiana – $2,300 –The Marjorie Lyons Playhouse has been a significant contributor to the local arts community for over sixty years. Each year multiple productions are held that include the participation of both Centenary students and faculty and community members. The grant will be used to update the theatre courtyard to its original splendor with all new landscaping.
DeSoto Schools Grace House – $1,000 – The mission of the DeSoto Schools’ Grace House is to help students make decisions to benefit them in day-to-day life. Their gardening project will work with their character education project to strengthen honesty, accountability, and thankfulness while teaching the students to create and maintain a vegetable garden.
First Baptist Church School – $500 – The objective of the school’s gardening elective project is to attract butterfly species that are native to Louisiana as well as provide host plants for the butterflies to lay eggs and complete metamorphosis on site.
Logansport High School FFA- $600 –The school’s gardening project, the Kenneth Harvey Monument Landscape Project, will beautify the campus by surrounding a tribute to a great man with beautiful flowers.
Mansfield Elementary School – $2,750 – The grant will be used to create project DIG – ‘Developing and Inspiring Gardeners’, which will enhance the beauty of the school and inspire students to develop confidence in their abilities and pride in their accomplishments. Lessons will center on growing seeds into plants and transplanting those plants into the new beds.
Shreveport Garden Study Club – $2,500 – The garden club has embraced the idea of planting for pollinators by establishing a 3,500 square foot pollinator garden with interpretive signage at Greenwood Cemetery.
Shreveport Green – $810 – Shreveport Green’s gardens at the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank site will expand to include sustainable fruit tree gardens.
Woodlawn Leadership Academy – $2,000 – Woodlawn’s year round community garden will be cared for by the students and vegetables donated to the community. The garden will also be used as a lab in the Science and Biology classes.
In addition to the grants, the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners also donated $600 to the Bossier Parish 4-H Summer Camp program.
The NWLA Master Gardeners launched this program in 2010 as a way to give back to the community after all the support given each year for the Le Tour des Jardins, Fall Bulb Sale, and Spring Plant Sale. The mission of the Master Gardeners is to educate the public about gardening and engage our community in horticultural pursuits. Giving these grants allows them to multiply their efforts by aiding and funding projects envisioned, implemented and maintained by other groups.
For more information on the Community Grant Program or each individual grantee, please call the NWLA Master Gardeners at (318) 698-0010. Or, visit their website at: www.nwlamg.weebly.com.
