The Luci and Ian Family Garden at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Overview
- Category: Educational
- Organization Location: Austin, Texas
- Activity: Harvest rain for use in the new interactive educational family garden focused on energy and water conservation.
Background:
Named after lead donors Luci Baines Johnson and her husband Ian Turpin, the garden includes interactive educational features connecting visitors with nature. Water Storage Tanks, Incorporated, worked with TBG Partners Architects to design and build an 8,000 gallon inverted roof tank that collects rainwater from a nearby wooden pavilion and a stone building housing restroom facilities.
This project is Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) certified, meaning it helps reduce water demand, filters and reduces stormwater runoff, provides wildlife habitat, and reduces energy consumption. Almost all of the irrigation needs of the Wildflower Center are met with harvested rainwater. In addition, rainwater replenishes Dinosaur Creek, in which children can explore and splash, and feeds the recirculating waterfall in the Hill Country Grotto. This 4.5-acre garden provides an opportunity for kids of all ages to learn about water conservation and more through hands-on experience and fun. Based on estimates prepared by the Wildflower Center, this system and other on-site cisterns contribute to annual savings of $24,226 in water fees and $10,462 in wastewater fees.