Children’s Discovery Garden will be renamed to honor Generous Donation
July 29, 2024 – Tulsa Botanic Garden has received a significant donation from longtime Garden supporters Tim and Josie Driskill. This generous contribution will support enhancements to the Children’s Discovery Garden including new shade structures, play features and other interactive elements.
In recognition of their donation, the Children’s Discovery Garden will be renamed the Josephine G. and Timothy W. Driskill Children’s Discovery Garden.
“The Botanic Garden is fortunate to have supporters like Tim and Josie Driskill who understood from the beginning the value a public garden would provide for our community,” said Chuck Lamson, Garden President & CEO. “They have seen it grow from inception and their generous gift will help us expand and enhance the ways that our young visitors can experience and learn about nature, plants and wildlife through play and more interactive elements.”
Plans for the enhancements are still being finalized but include adding new shade structures and play features as well as addressing necessary repairs. The Botanic Garden is collaborating with designers from Wallace Design Collective and Good Fieldworks. Tulsa-based contractor JonesPlan is expected to begin work on the projects in January 2025.
The Driskills have been involved with Tulsa Botanic Garden from its earliest days. An avid gardener, Josie completed master gardener classes at the OSU-Tulsa County Cooperative Extension in 2002. The classes were taught by Barry Fugatt, one of the Garden’s founders. From that early introduction, Josie went on to help advocate for initial funding for the Botanic Garden at the state capitol and helped recruit over 100 volunteers for a garden event that was part of the state’s centennial celebrations in 2007.
Josie and Tim Driskill were among the first to sign up as Garden members and Josie currently serves on the Garden’s Honorary Advisory Board.
Tim and Josie Driskill
