GCA Clubs Are Changing the Landscape

September 04, 2018

The cumulative impact of GCA clubs, by the numbers.

Did you know that legendary Wisconsin football coach Vince Lombardi was a member of The Garden Club of America? He wasn't. But he should have been. It turns out that Lombardi knew a lot more about The Garden Club of America than most would give him credit for.  "Individual commitment to a group effort," he said, "is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." That's The Garden Club of America in a nutshell.

This past June, club presidents from the GCA’s 200 clubs were asked to report on their clubs' activities. With 94% of the GCA's clubs reporting, the results prove Lombardi's point.

Individual clubs are undertaking important work in communities across the country. But the cumulative impact of 200 clubs and nearly 18,000 individuals committed to the knowledge and love of gardening and protection of the environment means unmatched impact and value.

Last year, across the country, the GCA and local clubs TOGETHER changed the face of the environment.

Here's what the GCA survey found:

• 84% worked with a local or community garden
• 36% worked in or with school gardens
• 53% supported gardens surrounding a historic site
• 46% offered programs for youth or underserved populations (such as summer camps and propagation training for inmates)
• 64% offered public lectures, conferences, educational workshops, and programs
• 42% offered a photography show or demonstration for the public
• 50% of clubs planted trees, adding more than 4000 new trees in the past year
• 79% propagated plants
• 68% removed invasives
• 82% planted natives or wildflowers
• 72% worked on pollinator gardens
• 45% worked in local, regional, or national parks

Combined, clubs donated approximately $700,000 in local grants, scholarships, and internships. They reported donations of over $5 million to civic/community projects.

Photo caption: Members of The Garden Club of Jackson helping Mississippi's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

See All News