Utah Botanical Center Honored

The Utah Botanical Center was among the projects honored at Envision Utah's 5th Annual Governor's Quality Growth Awards. The Utah Botanical Center, located in Kaysville, is a project of Utah State University, the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station and Utah State Extension.

 

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., commended the selected projects for working now to improve Utah's future.

 

"These are all great examples of projects that add to our quality of life, our economic vitality, our sustainability," Huntsman said. "They represent a very futuristic look at the issues of growth, and I think that's something to be applauded."

 

Eleven projects from across the state were honored this year.

 

The Utah Botanical Center was recognized for its efforts to inspire Utahns to work toward a more sustainable future. The center's mission is to raise people's awareness that preserving natural resources enriches quality of life for all generations. Although a substantial portion of the Utah Botanical Center is still in the planning and development phase, the re-engineered ponds and surrounding plants and wildlife have hosted thousands of school children on field trips tied to the state's core science curriculum. In addition, the center's popular Utah House, a demonstration home featuring sustainable construction and landscaping through conservation of water, gas and electricity, has hosted thousands of visitors and is the site of a variety of workshops and courses.

 

The center is also the site of ongoing research in many aspects of resource conservation, including propagation of native plants and demonstrating methods of grouping plants with similar water requirements in the landscape to help reduce water use.

 

"It is important to recognize that continued and accelerating growth in the state is going to have a huge impact on all of our lives," said Dave Anderson, Utah Botanical Center associate director. "We live in the second-driest state in the nation and reducing water use in homes and landscapes is critical. It's not about cutting back because of drought years, it's about making choices that are more appropriate for where we live."

 

The center covers nearly 100 acres just east of Interstate 15 in Davis County, in the heart of an area that has become increasingly urban in the past few years. Once completed, the Utah Botanical Center will include a visitors center, classrooms, extension offices, additional home landscaping demonstrations that conserve water, and an extension of the city's walking and cycling trails. There will also be a butterfly garden, a garden designed especially for children, a blue garden and other specially themed areas incorporating native and well-adapted plants.