Demonstration Garden Renamed the Miriam and Robert Vaughn Native Garden

Pines and Prairies Land Trust and the Industrial Asset Management Council service project committee is growing a native plant demonstration garden at the Colorado River Refuge (CRR) near Tahitian Village in Bastrop.

The CRR hillside was a tangle of Johnson grass, giant ragweed and other non-native and invasive species before the Lost Pines Master Naturalists removed the undesirable growth. The Master Naturalists worked to prepare the area for native plants including ground cover, grasses, bushes and understory trees. Lost Pines Master Naturalist, Miriam Vaughn explains, “Native plants are drought tolerant, do not need chemical fertilizer or pesticides, and provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. This garden will show the community how a native plant garden looks, sounds and smells.”

“We love coming to different communities and helping to make a difference with our volunteer work. This project is particuliarly fun because we are seeing immediate results,” says Amber Getsner of the IAMC. Amber continues, “Several volunteers have told me they plan to return to Bastrop in the future to check the garden.”

Pines and Prairies Land Trust (PPLT) is a non-profit land conservation organization. As part of its mission, they operate the Colorado River Refuge, a free, handicapped accessible wildlife refuge along the Colorado River near Bastrop. For more information about PPLT projects and programs please call 512-308-1911 or check the web site at www.pplt.org.

The IAMC service project committee mission is “to promote the organization through active engagement in a wide variety of real estate related service projects within the geographic area of IAMC Forum host cities while providing IAMC members with unique opportunities to better understand, experience and serve those communities”.

See the video!

To get to the Colorado River Refuge take Tahitian Drive to the river and turn right onto Riverside Dr. Continue along Riverside Dr. past the golf course and the maintenance shed and onto the gravel part of Riverside Dr. Proceed until you come to the CRR entrance.