{"id":27278,"date":"2020-09-11T16:16:43","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciencescosmaincms.cm.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=27278"},"modified":"2020-09-11T16:16:43","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:16:43","slug":"arboretum-donation-inspired-by-work-of-granddaughter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/arboretum-donation-inspired-by-work-of-granddaughter\/","title":{"rendered":"Arboretum Donation Inspired By Work of Granddaughter"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Kelsie Johnson on graduation day with her grandparents, Wayne and Sandra Harris.<\/p><\/div>\n

Kelsie Johnson\u2019s thumb was decidedly not green growing up.<\/p>\n

So it was all the more surprising to her grandparents when Johnson \u201816 announced she was pursuing horticulture and environmental conservation as a career.<\/p>\n

\u201cKelsie has always been outgoing, but never did we picture her becoming involved in the Arboretum program or any of the outdoor type things,\u201d said Johnson\u2019s grandfather, Wayne Harris.<\/p>\n

Expected or not, Harris and his wife, Sandra Harris, fully supported their oldest granddaughter\u2019s chosen path, and have watched with delight as Johnson rose from volunteer to the UCF Arboretum\u2019s program coordinator. Recently, their support took tangible form as a generous donation to the Arboretum\u2019s endowment fund, which supports ongoing programming and student development at UCF\u2019s beloved greenspace.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe true motivation for the gift was seeing a young mind become so inspired and enjoy the program she\u2019s working in,\u201d Wayne Harris said. \u201cSome jobs are just a paycheck, but you can see the passion she brings to her work.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are other reasons, too.<\/p>\n

The Harris family lives in the heart of Florida in Sebring, a rural area dominated by citrus groves and pastures. Wayne Harris enjoys feeling soil in his hands, from helping a friend harvest watermelons to his own personal garden, which features towering sunflowers. There\u2019s something noble about watching your food grow from a seed, Wayne Harris said.<\/p>\n

One of the toughest chapters in their 59 years of marriage was the passing of their oldest daughter in 2015. Sandra Harris struggled to find some emotional grounding afterward, and immersing in nature proved incredibly therapeutic.<\/p>\n

\u201cNature has so many healing properties,\u201d Sandra Harris said.<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s expanding scientific knowledge has enhanced their understanding and appreciation for nature. She\u2019s taught them the scientific names of certain plants, and provided advice on plants like which ones attract bugs and the right time for pruning.<\/p>\n

These experiences, combined with their granddaughter\u2019s affection for horticulture, compelled them to find ways for more students to access careers in nature. The resulting donation accomplishes exactly that.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore young people today need know and experience creation,\u201d Sandra Harris said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kelsie Johnson\u2019s thumb was decidedly not green growing up. So it was all the more surprising to her grandparents when Johnson \u201816 announced she was pursuing horticulture and environmental conservation as a career. \u201cKelsie has always been outgoing, but never did we picture her becoming involved in the Arboretum program or any of the outdoor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":27279,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[33,38,13,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arboretum","category-breaking-news","category-news","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\nArboretum Donation Inspired By Work of Granddaughter - College of Sciences News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/arboretum-donation-inspired-by-work-of-granddaughter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Arboretum Donation Inspired By Work of Granddaughter - College of Sciences News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kelsie Johnson\u2019s thumb was decidedly not green growing up. 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