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The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

A Good Idea

Description

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a 54,000 square foot facility accommodating research, education and visitor needs on a 40 acre site in Austin, Texas. The Center's mission is to teach people about the environmental necessity, economic value, and natural beauty of native plants. This is accomplished through the following activities: planning, consultation, and field research on preservation, conservation and restoration of native plant habitats through the Center for Landscape Restoration; on-site education and demonstration programs for children and adults through the Brown Center for Environmental Education; National publications and Information Clearinghouse; and collaboration with organizations with similar missions.

Goal / Mission

The mission of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants, and landscapes.

Results / Accomplishments

Designed as a series of outdoor spaces and facilities, including visitors' galleries, a 250 seat auditorium, classrooms, a gift shop and tea room, conference facilities, administrative offices, a botanical library and research labs, the center creates a highly experiential learning environment. Focused on the education of visitors about the use of native plants and demonstrating an ecologically sensitive approach to the development of a site with fragile environmental conditions, the facilities and the programs they support model "total resource conservation" while showing the beauty and benefit of native landscape and supporting over 400 native plant species. The Center is support solely by membership dues, entrance fees, individual, foundation and corporate funding, gift store sales, and facility rentals.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Primary Contact
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
4801 La Crosse Avenue
Austin, Texas 78739
(512) 292-4100
http://www.wildflower.org/
Topics
Environmental Health / Built Environment
Organization(s)
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Source
UN Habitat
Date of publication
2000
Location
Austin, TX
For more details
Michigan Health Improvement Alliance