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The fifth annual Texas Native Plant Week will be October 20-26, 2013.
Texas Native Plant Week became a reality on June 16, 2009, when Governor Perry signed a bill recognizing it as the third week in October. This legislative act recognizes the important role of native plants in conservation efforts and is an incentive for schools to teach children about the role of native plants in our environments.
Why is this so important to us as Native Plant Society of Texas chapters?
First, it honors Faye Tessnow and Barbara Anderson, members of the Highland Lakes Chapter who advocated for legislative action with the help of Representative Donna Howard. Faye’s and Barbara’s efforts led to unanimous passage of the bill in both the Texas House of Representatives and the Senate.
Native Plant Week is an excellent opportunity to forge partnerships promoting native plants whether in your backyard, schools, native wildscapes, city parks, highways, downtown city areas, libraries, or neighborhoods. The scope of your participation in Native Plant Week is limited only by your creative application of the mission of the Native Plant Society.
As the committee chair for Texas Native Plant Week, I encourage chapters to participate by promoting native plants and habitats in any way you can to fellow citizens, your city council, builders, park managers, educators, business people – anyone in your community – to the benefits of native plants. It is not crucial that your event occur during Native Plant Week itself; any event you plan occurring from late September to early November will be worthy of mention on the Texas Native Plant Week website — www.txnativeplantweek.org.
Please designate a person or group of persons to coordinate your creative thoughts for promoting Native Plant Week. Several suggestions that have been submitted:
- Hold a native plant sale.
- Donate books on native plants to public or school libraries.
- Contact your city council to declare Texas Native Plant Week for your community.
- Set up a display on native plants in a library or a school.
- Set up an educational booth on native plants at plant sales or other public events.
- Encourage a local restaurant to create a dish containing a native plant ingredient and highlight the native ingredient on the menu.
We will be posting the events on the Texas Native Plant Week website as the information is sent.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me by email.
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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: castone04
