Tawes Garden

The five-acre Helen A. Tawes Garden, located at the Tawes State Office Building in Annapolis, was named for a former Maryland First Lady, whose husband was Governor from 1959-1967. Prior to construction of the Tawes State Office Building in the early 1970's, the garden site was a flat cinder lot, used for traveling carnivals. Beginning in 1975, the garden developers dug ponds, built a stream, and formed a “mountain” with large boulders to change the topography to represent the state’s various geographic areas: a Western Maryland forest, a streamside environment, and an Eastern Shore peninsula.

Possible projects within the Tawes Garden include:

• Collate paper records and develop a tree and shrub database in support of application for Level 2 Arboretum status

• Develop a science-based curriculum for preschoolers, possibly to work in conjunction with Discover Nature Programs

• Develop a practical invasives program with an educational component tied to identification for the Tawes site and followed up with physical removal

• Investigate potential for developing e-materials and e-guides and a PowerPoint presentation for use by Tawes personnel

• Adopt-a-Native-Habitat (there are three habitats in the garden: Eastern Shore, Mountain, and Coastal Plain) – evaluate status of the areas and develop a plan to address outstanding issues

• Develop interpretive programming for public (e.g., lecture series on native plants, garden/yard stewardship, invasives, etc.

• Investigate potential for developing e-materials and e-guides and a PowerPoint presentation for use by Tawes personnel

• Adopt-a-Native-Habitat (there are three habitats in the garden: Eastern Shore, Mountain, and Coastal Plain) – evaluate status of the areas and develop a plan to address outstanding issues

• Develop interpretive programming for public (e.g., lecture series on native plants, garden/yard stewardship, invasives, etc.)

• Help develop better community and stakeholder connections and support

• Serve as a member of the Board of the Friends of Tawes Garden.