Benton Conservation District’s Heritage Garden program, volunteer honored

The Benton Conservation District’s Heritage Garden program recently was honored with two prestigious awards.

The conservation district received the Washington Native Plant Society’s 2015 Outstanding Partner Award for promoting the use of native plants that honor natural, cultural and geologic histories in water-smart landscaping.

Conservation district volunteer Donna Lucas received the 2015 Special Service Award from the Washington Association of Conservation Districts for her generous contributions to the Heritage Garden program.

“We are on the brink of a cultural shift, relearning how to approach our landscapes,” Lucas said. “The Heritage Garden program provides a forward-looking vision, utilizing our native plants — plants that developed strategies over thousands of years, not only to survive our harsh environment, but to thrive in it.”

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 7:24 PM with the headline "Benton Conservation District’s Heritage Garden program, volunteer honored."