GCD announces special projects awards

Published 4:16 pm Tuesday, January 15, 2019

By SUSAN JONAS

The Garden Club of Danville

The Garden Club of Danville (GCD) is once again putting the profits of its popular spring garden tours to work for the community. Some of Danville’s most talented and creative gardeners have generously opened their gardens to the public in the past. More gardens will be on display for the 2019 tour on May 18. A portion of the proceeds from these tours goes towards the club’s Special Project Awards. These projects benefit the community in ways that reflect the mission of the Garden Club of Danville: to encourage the advancement of horticulture and creative design, aid in civic beautification, and promote conservation and protection of natural resources.

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This year, grants totaling $1,250 were awarded to three local non-profit organizations. Each organization was partnered with a member of the Garden Club who will follow the project to completion.

For the fourth year in a row the Garden Club of Danville has been a lead donor to the Danville Tree Project, a 10-year plan to plant 500 trees along Danville streets, with an emphasis on native trees. Centre Professor Beau Weston, organizer of the project says, “It is fitting that all of Danville’s leading ‘friends of plants’ — the Garden Club, the Beautification Committee, and the County Extension Agent — work so well together to choose and plant our trees.”

CREEC, Clark Run Environmental and Educational Corporation, was awarded funds to aid in the construction of a new trail head for the Clarks Run Trail at the intersection of Stanford Road and McClure Drive. The grant will help provide for a parking area and rain garden at the end of the nature trail along Clarks Run Creek. Club member Fran Halloran sponsored the application from Melissa McAlister and Preston Miles, of CREEC.

The third grant was awarded to the Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge in Forkland to purchase tools for removing invasive non-native plants from the property. Ben Miles submitted the grant and Susan Jonas of the Garden Club is the sponsor. “Volunteers will learn more about our local natural resources,” said Miles, “as well as some skills for maintaining them. The Refuge will be improved, benefiting visitors as well as local flora and fauna.”

Proceeds from the upcoming 2019 Garden Tour on May 18 will be used for future grants. The Garden Club will be looking for projects which have a strong public impact on the community, with an educational component. They should be accomplished within two years and be self-sustaining once the funding ends. For more information, see thegardenclubofdanville.org.