Loving Lady Bird's legacy

This year the welcome spring rain in Austin has brought not only green grass and a huge sigh of relief from farmers, but seas of blooming wildflowers on the side of almost every road and major street.  These wildflowers, all native plants, are the legacy of Lady Bird Johnson, former First Lady and (it turns out) avid environmentalist, city beautification advocate and all-around incredible woman.

(I pass this beautiful patch on the way from work to yoga.  Brings a smile every time.)

The only thing I knew about Lady Bird before doing some wildflower-inspired research recently was that she was married to our 36th president Lyndon B. Johnson and had (in my opinion) a totally absurd nickname. (Her given name was Claudia.)  I didn't know she was one of the few women to graduate from the University of Texas in the 1930s with degrees in journalism and art.  I didn't know she bought and ran a network of radio and TV stations on her own in the 1940s and 50s as LBJ was ascending the political ranks. And I didn't know that she inspired the first environmental/beautification legislation about the same time that the Interstate highway system was being built.  This bill cleaned up the new highways, promoted scenic landscaping, combated littering and limited advertising.  Although it was called the Beautification Act, Lady Bird hated the term 'beautification' because to her it sounded superficial and trivial.  She was much more concerned with the environmental aspects of the bill, especially the native-plant landscaping, open space preservation, and safe waste management.  Lady Bird, it seems, was much more than a political wife with a quirky Southern name.

I have always admired LBJ a ridiculous amount and love that there was a time when Real Men from Texas did things like ensure voting rights for minorities (the Civil Right Act), advocate for the poor and fund public education, public broadcasting and public healthcare (Medicaid and Medicare).  Ahhh, those halcyon days... Turns out, Lady Bird was right there with him, drumming up support for Head Start along with the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and scores of others.  In perhaps the sweetest presidential gesture ever, LBJ gave Lady Bird each of the 50 pens he used to sign the 50 pieces of environmental legislation she helped bring to fruition along with a plaque that read, "To Lady Bird, who has inspired me and millions of Americans to preserve our land and beautify our nation. With love, Lyndon." 

Lady Bird died in 2007, but her tireless work continues to bloom, literally and figuratively.  Here in Austin, in addition to the gorgeous flowers sprucing up the roadways, she founded the National Wildflower Research Center (re-named for her in 2006), which promotes the benefits and beauty native plants throughout the country.  She also made sure that beautification projects, especially those funded by the government, reached all neighborhoods and areas, from the Interstate to the inner city.

It would be enough if central Texas burst into color every spring with bluebonnets and native azaleas bobbing in the gentle breeze. But it is even more amazing that these wildflowers are the ground-breaking work of a woman who made sure that every one of us could enjoy the beauty that surrounds us for years to come.