DALLAS – Cultivating interest in environmental education, more than 100 rare carnivorous pitcher plants from Luminant’s Big Brown Turlington Mine are finding a second life at the Dallas Arboretum. The recently donated plants will be featured in the new Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden and are helping plant the seed of environmental awareness and stewardship with future generations.
“Due to the scarcity of natural bog habitat where they can thrive, these unique plants are part of a statewide conservation effort. Considering the mining activities scheduled for this area, we wanted to do everything possible to find these pitcher plants a permanent home,” said Sid Stroud, director of environmental mining. “Through this collaborative effort, the pitcher plants will serve as an integral educational tool for years to come.”
These carnivorous plants thrive in acidic wetlands or bogs and receive most of their nutrients from capturing and digesting insects. With the chance to reach more than 100,000 preschool through secondary students, the pitcher plants will be featured in a new interactive bog ecosystem display in the children’s garden. Set to open this September, the eight-acre garden will feature 150 outdoor and indoor exhibits, each designed around a key science theme.
“Luminant’s stewardship efforts are unparalleled – they knew what they had on the land, knew what needed to be protected and recognized the educational value in the plants,” said Tucker Reed, Dallas Arboretum horticulture manager. “We only have about 15 counties in the state with pitcher plants, so for many visitors this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view and learn about this rare plant species.”
This project is just one of many that illustrate the company’s continued dedication to environmental excellence. View a video video highlighting the pitcher plant donation and visit our Environmental Stewardship and Environmental Education fact sheets to learn more about Luminant’s environmental legacy.
Pitcher plants thrive in acidic wetlands or bogs and receive most of their nutrients from insects.
The plants will be part of an interactive bog ecosystem display.
Tucker Reed, Dallas Arboretum horticulture manager, helped design the pitcher plant display.
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About Luminant
Luminant, a subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings Corp., is a competitive power generation business, including mining, wholesale marketing and trading, and development operations. Luminant has more than 15,400 megawatts of generation in Texas, including 2,300 MW fueled by nuclear power and 8,000 MW fueled by coal. The company is also one of the largest purchasers of wind-generated electricity in the United States. EFH is a Dallas-based energy holding company that has a portfolio of competitive and regulated energy subsidiaries, primarily in Texas. Visit www.luminant.com or www.energyfutureholdings.com for additional information.
Media
Caroline Atkins
214-875-8302
Caroline.Atkins@luminant.com