More than 200 years ago, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark traveled through what is now the Sioux City area. As the explorers looked for a water route to the Pacific Ocean, they also documented, collected and preserved plant specimens they found along the way.

Today visitors to the Garden of Discovery at the Sioux City Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center can see and learn about many of the native plants the explorers encountered. Iowa State University Extension Master Gardeners in Woodbury County are among the volunteers who planned, created and now maintain the nine gardens included in the Garden of Discovery on the Missouri riverfront.

“It’s an important garden for educational purposes,” said Master Gardener Donna Popp. She and others hope the Garden of Discovery — with guided tours, lectures and classes — will continue as an educational attraction long after the Lewis and Clark celebration fervor dies down.

More than 2,000 ISU Extension Master Gardeners throughout Iowa contributed more than 81,000 volunteer hours to their communities in the past year. For more information about the Master Gardener program, see www.mastergardener.iastate.edu.

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