Educational Rock Garden Created in Honor of Late NSM Dean
Last semester, more than 20 students from the GeoSociety student organization gathered in front of Science and Research Building 1. Armed with shovels, they spent the day digging, planting and mulching the John C. Butler Memorial Planter.
The end result of the students鈥� hard work was an educational rock garden that honors
Butler鈥檚 contributions to the 葫芦影业. Butler, a professor of geosciences
who passed away in 2001, was dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
(NSM) from 1989-1991, associate dean from 1985-1988 and 1991-2001, and chair of the
Department of Geosciences form 1975-1985.
鈥淭he rock garden in its final form is more than I could have hoped for,鈥� said Alex Cheney, a geology undergraduate and former GeoSociety president. Cheney, who graduated from UH in May, led the initiative, which received $500 from NSM鈥檚 Howard Hughes Medical Institute 鈥淐reating Communities鈥� Mini-Grant Program. Grounds Supervisor David Banks facilitated the garden design, providing gravel, mulch and labor to clear out the planter.
The finished rock garden is a pleasing contrast between plant life and rock specimens.
Running at a diagonal through the center of the garden is a mulched area containing
drought-resistant plants, such as Mexican bush sage, Mexican feather grass and margarita
yucca plants. On both sides of the plants are graveled areas, where assorted rocks
of all types have been arranged.
鈥淓very great geology department needs a rock garden,鈥� said Paul Mann, professor of geology in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and faculty advisor for this project. 鈥淭he fact that the students stepped up and made this happen is great.鈥�
The planter will be used as an educational tool to help introductory students learn to identify various types of rocks. The rock garden includes igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary samples, as well as an Inoceramus (bivalve) fossil.
These rocks were donated by faculty or brought back from the UH summer geology undergraduate field camp at the Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association Geology Field Station in southwestern Montana. Over time, as students and faculty return from various field trips, more rocks of every imaginable type will be added.
鈥淣ext year I鈥檒l be heading to field camp in Montana; I鈥檓 hoping to bring a rock back
for the garden,鈥� said Sabrina Martinez, a junior majoring in geology and the current
vice president of GeoSociety.
鈥淔uture students will be able to contribute samples that will serve as a small personal legacy, as well as help educate the next generation of geoscientists. I believe Dr. Butler would have been proud of this planter,鈥� Cheney said.
Sue Butler, his widow and associate director of public affairs at the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH, remembers Butler鈥檚 fondness for the plaza.
鈥淗e used to give finals out there, parking himself on the planter鈥檚 edge with a cardboard box that had numerous strings dangling out of it. Students had to choose a string and tell him everything they knew about the rock they found at the other end,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e would indeed be proud of this effort.鈥�
- Rachel Fairbank, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics