| Thursday Techniques: Legacy of Lady Bird Johnson |
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| Written by Heleigh Bostwick Thursday, 29 July 2010 | |||
 Lady Bird Johnson, whose real name was Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, is best remembered for her dedication to preserving native plants and beautifying our nation's highways and was instrumental in the passage of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965. You've seen those bursts of bright colored flowers as you whiz down the highway? Most of the time they're usually the result of highway beautification efforts, a fancy name for wildflowers planted by the highway department. It is because of her efforts that the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987 requires that at least 0.25 of 1 percent of funds expended for landscaping projects in the highway system be used to plant native flowers, plants and trees. Later, in 1982, she helped establish the National Wildflower Center with Actress Helen Hayes. The center is now called the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and is dedicated to protecting and preserving North America's native plants and natural landscapes. Its mission is to introduce people to the beauty and diversity of wildflowers and other native plants. Recommended reading Wildflowers Across America 
Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America I’m always on the lookout for topics to write about, so if there’s something you’d like to see here, send it my way and I’ll see what I can do! |
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