The Jamestown branch of AAUW is hosting its annual AAUW Garden Tour on Wednesday, July 20. This year’s tour is likely to have many more people attending than usual. Young people, from college-aged to mid-40s, have taken the backyard on as if they invented the concept of gardening. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, young people saw a way to circumvent “losses” by making gains in their own backyard.
The local branch of AAUW has been bringing the wonders of gardening to the public since 1990. Many of those touring this year were not even born then, but their interest is invigorating and promising that the love of growing has not waned
Connie Lillejord and Erin Klein chaired the 2021 tour and will again chair this year. It’s not an easy task. Gardeners tend to be private people, digging in the dirt because it’s their heart, not necessarily for show. But like those who chaired the first tour 30 years ago, they remind gardeners of the importance of inspiring gardeners all across middle North Dakota, who look forward every year to seeing what has been accomplished in our neck of this woods we call home.
AAUW’s tour involves the Jamestown Arts Center and the University of Jamestown. All are involved with students and education and like AAUW, the promotion of and equality for women. To help accomplish this goal, they raise funds through garden tours. This year, in addition to scholarships for the University of Jamestown, the branch sponsored a UJ student to attend an important conference.
UJ student Sydney Lewellen attended the May 24-26 National Conference of Women Student Leaders.
Lewellen is studying graphic design for e-commerce and is also active in several campus and community activities. She hopes to expand on her communication and leadership skill-set by attending this