Financial Contributions 2023-2024
Charitable Gifts
Fenner Conservancy $300
Friends of Historic Meridian $200
Harris Nature Center $200
Haslett Beautification Association $200
Michigan Garden Club Scholarship in the name of our club to MSU Horticulture student $1000
Greater Lansing Food Bank $200
Michigan State University Children’s Garden $200
Okemos Community Food Pantry (member donations) $295

Black Swallowtail Butterfly Initiative

Efforts by Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. to make the Black Swallowtail our official Michigan butterfly made great progress in 2023-24. Thanks to club members’ efforts and promotion by our Representative Julie Brixie, the bill received a
hearing and approval in the Michigan House Committee on Natural Resources Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation, and was forwarded to the full House where it passed. Success! We are half way there!
House Bill #4159 is now in the Michigan Senate’s Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture, awaiting a hearing and approval before it can move to the Senate for a final vote. When approved it will go to the Governor for her signature.
Please send an email to Senator Sue Shink urging her to move the bill forward by scheduling a senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee hearing. Email: SenSShink@senate.michigan.gov Also, urge our Michigan Senator Singh to support the Black Swallowtail designation as the Michigan State Butterfly. SenSingh@senate.michigan.gov
Community Outreach Project

Our club continues our second year of bouquet makingwith residents at the Ingham
County Medical Care Facility on Dobie Road. We work as volunteers with Cheyenne
Covey, Therapeutic Activities Coordinator. A team of six members meets monthly to
assist 15-20 residents who select “past sale” flowers generously supplied by Kroger in Okemos. Our club supplies the vases. We are delighted by the smiles of residents who select flowers to take to their rooms.
Coordinator: Jean Goetz
Helpers: Shirley Tsai, Elaine High, Mary Ann Martin, Greta Wu, Kathy Stepanovich, JoAnn Peterson, Gail Smith, Jo-anne Tuttle, Barb Sears, Anne Davich, Yunyan Shen, Brigitta Bruning, Nirmala Shaw, Karen Webster, Katie Steinaker, Wenfen Pan
Service Contributions

Plant it Pink Garden
Our Plant It Pink Garden (PIP) was dedicated in October 2017 to promote awareness of the fight against breast cancer and to honor its victims and survivors. This was a National Garden Club project. By planting pink gardens in public places, clubs joined with local community groups to create hope for a breast cancer-free world.
Memorial bricks are a special feature in our garden. Currently there are 33 inscribed bricks. If you would like to order a brick, send your request and check ($75) to Treasurer at PO Box 1344, Okemos, MI 48805-1344. Click HERE for the order form. A portion of the purchase price of each brick helps to support future maintenance of the PIP garden.

Blue Star Memorial Program
Our Blue Star Memorial Garden outside the Township Office Building honors the service and sacrifices of all veterans, living and deceased, and their families. It was dedicated in 2008, and rededicated most recently in a 2022 ceremony.
Two special people are honored, Sharon Hudson, deceased club member (2013), and an army nurse and midwife, and Paul Cassidy a township employee, and Army Reservist killed in Iraq in 2002.
There are now 109 Blue Star Memorials in Michigan and 19 in our District 2B. This is a patriotic National Garden Project which remains popular among garden clubs in our state.

Historical Village Decorating(November and December)
We will hang swags in the Meridian Historical Village for the holidays.

Recycling
We publish a listing of community recycling resources on our website, www.meridiangardenclub.com.
Accolade Elm Tree
An Accolade Elm was planted by Meridian Garden Club in 2011. This Dutch elm disease resistant tree was chosen to represent the 1840s era in the Historical Village.
Community Garden Maintenance
During the spring, summer and fall, our members work to maintain 13 Meridian gardens. Some work in multiple gardens, contributing over 1200 hours of service to the community.
Ron Styka Memorial Trail
Ron Styka’s many years of community service as Township Supervisor were honored with the dedication of a new memorial pathway. His widow Georgia, our club member and past president, continued his legacy; she is a very active participant in “Meridian Cares”, which assists households in economic crisis.



Meet Our Great Native Plant Grower

Over the past two years Lynn O’Shaughnessy has donated native plant seedlings for the Meridian Garden Club Plant Sale.
With Lynn’s plants and Emma Campbell’s talk about “Native Plants” at the Plant Sale, Meridian Garden Club has expanded interest in native plants in our local community.
Lynn grows all of these donated seedlings in her greenhouse. She starts planning in October/November and starts planting in the winter. By May she has grown enough seedlings for her gardens, our sale and for her local Brighton schools. Lynn’s wealth of knowledge and generosity is known throughout District 2B.
It is with gratitude we thank Lynn for her contributions to our annual Plant Sale