The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a $146,748 Project Grant to Tarleton State University under the Higher Education - Institution Challenge Grants Program (CFDA 10.217). The grant supports an integrated project to increase capacity for research and education on the importance of climate-smart native landscaping plants and encourage recruitment of undergraduate and graduate students into horticulture STEM fields.
The project leverages previous federal capacity building grants to enhance efforts exploring the efficacy of drought-resistant native plants in promoting pollinator health, with broader applications for restoration efforts in water-limited landscapes. Key objectives include faculty-led, student-driven research to inform local conservation needs related to native landscaping, and developing curriculum modules to provide undergraduates with hands-on experience in native plant propagation, landscape design, and pollinator ecology. This work aims to strengthen Tarleton State University's portfolio as an institution fostering native plant research to serve North-Central Texas and the broader Southern Great Plains region.
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