Chandler city officials recently passed and adopted a resolution to accept a grant of $50,000 to create an educational program centered on a native plant oasis at a local park. The Gila River Indian Community gifted this award, which will go toward teaching the public about Sonoran Desert ecology and more.
The project will go to a site known as Chandler Native Plant Oasis located at Veterans Oasis Park.
Funds for the project go toward landscape supplies, park furniture and signage needed to redo the community education garden and provide maintenance.
Derek Gerson is a recreation supervisor with the Chandler Nature Center.
“So through the Native Plant Oasis, we'll be cultivating a lot of different native plants, Arizona native plants and desert native plants that we find here," he said.
Gerson says the plants officials want to showcase include desert lavender, sweetbush and milkweed.
He also says while the goal involves learning, it also is linked with showing the challenges faced by the desert in Arizona.
Gerson says he is excited for the project as it gives people an opportunity to involve themselves with the natural environment.
