Proposed by: Founders Garden Club of Dallas, Zone IX
Seconded by: Alamo Heights-Terrell Hills Garden Club, Zone IX

Former First Lady Laura Bush has been a lifelong advocate for America’s natural resources and national parks. As First Lady, she promoted the NPS Junior Rangers Program encouraging youth to “explore, learn and protect.” She initiated multiple conservation-oriented programs including: First Bloom, an educational program that gives urban students the opportunity to explore parkland and learn about native and invasive plants; Preservation America which is designed to safeguard and restore our nation’s cultural and natural heritage; and the Marine Debris Initiative to inform the public about the benefits of cleaning up our waterways and oceans, and the devastating effects litter has on sea life. Returning to Texas in 2009, Mrs. Bush helped design the environmentally friendly George W. Bush Presidential Center and the 15-acre park filled with native flora. She founded Texan by Nature, which aligns natural resource consumers with conservation experts. From 2015-2016 she served with then First Lady Michelle Obama as the honorary co-chairman of the National Park Service Centennial Celebration. Possessing a love of nature and a devotion to conservation, she has championed action to protect, preserve, and enjoy our nation’s treasures. Former First Lady Laura W. Bush is a member of The Founders Garden Club of Dallas.