Restoring a Garden Along the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail
Akron Garden Club Honors Past GCA President

A new native plant garden has recently opened along the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The garden in Cascade Locks Park honors the late Christine and Robert Freitag. Christine Freitag, who passed away in 2018, was president of The Garden Club of America (1993-95) and served as GCA conservation chair. This new Ohio native garden is a collaborative effort between the Akron Garden Club, Summit Metro Parks, and Cascade Locks Park Association. It restores a site along the Towpath Trail where invasive plants had choked out native plants.

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2021 GCA Conservation Study Conference
Saving Salmon

Wild salmon loom large in the Pacific Northwest as a bellwether species for the ecological and economic health of the region as well as for the traditional culture and identity of north west indigenous peoples. On November 17, The Garden Club of America's 2021 Conservation Study Conference took a look at how people in the salmon space are making a difference. From habitat to harvest to home-cooked filets, the possibility exists to give life to preservation practices and a mindful approach to the fish on our plates.

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Working to Identify Potential New Natives
Rumson GC Creates a Climate Change Experiment

After the town of Rumson, New Jersey was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, Rumson Garden Club members began to ask what native plants might survive the increased temperatures and fiercer storms brought on by climate change and what plants native to southern regions might become the area’s new native species. The club applied for and received a $500 grant from The Garden Club of America’s Partners for Plants program to plant southern native species to determine what plants might survive.

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Crowdfunding for Connecticut Parks
Connecticut Valley Garden Club Unites Hartford Parks

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a Connecticut Valley Garden Club (CVGC) member took her grandchildren to some of Hartford’s many parks. The parks were filled with people of all ages who saw the parks as a safe place to be. It was clear that with an increase in park visitation, a higher level of maintenance was required. She also noted that many of the parks needed some improvements. Realizing that city government alone could not possibly provide the extra funds needed for the parks, she wondered if those who used the parks would be willing to participate in a crowdfunding project to create an awareness of park needs and raise funds for the parks.

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Maintaining a Significant Ancient Site in Wisconsin
Town and Country Garden Club Continues Support of Sheboygan Indian Mound Park

Town and Country Garden Club (TCGC), Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is very proud of their ongoing affiliation with Sheboygan Indian Mound Park, a fifteen-acre public park established in 1966, which preserves ancient Native American burial mounds. This year, as in every year, the club conducted a spring member workday to clear trails, tackle invasive plant species, and clean the sacred mounds.

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Women of The Garden Club of America
Wilhelmine “Willie” Kirby Waller, Environmental Pioneer

Wilhelmine “Willie” Kirby Waller, who campaigned against the use of DDTs and chlorinated hydrocarbons five years before the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, served as president of The Garden Club of America from 1965-1968. Mrs. Waller testified before Congress against the use of billboards along US highways and served on committees for Governor Nelson Rockefeller and U.S. Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and George H. W. Bush. In 1972, Willie was awarded the GCA’s Frances K. Hutchinson Medal. It was the achievement of which she was most proud.

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News: GCA Annual Report 2020-2021
Documenting The Garden Club of America’s Accomplishments

The Garden Club of America is proud to announce the 2020-2021 Annual Report, Embracing Change, which highlights the positive and powerful spirit of both the national organization and our club members, the innovations made to strengthen the work in our communities and nationally, our connections and friendships, and our creativity, talent, and knowledge.

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