Through seasonal plant displays and easy-to-understand educational areas, the Terry & Herb Lewis Demonstration Garden makes HudsonAlpha’s plant science accessible to the public

By Lillie Mermoud

This year marked the dedication of the Terry & Herb Lewis Demonstration Garden, a public teaching garden on the grounds of the Kathy L. Chan Greenhouse on the campus of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.

The Terry and Herb Lewis Demonstration Garden

The garden serves as a public extension of the work within the Kathy L. Chan Greenhouse, welcoming visitors to explore research projects while visiting Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park. When touring the garden, members of the public and many of the students who visit HudsonAlpha each year can walk among plants that are growing inside the greenhouse and explore first-hand the research done by the Institute’s Center for Plant Science and Sustainable Agriculture. Educational areas describe how the Institute’s scientists use plant genomics to solve complex global challenges, making the concepts of plant genomics easy and accessible to curious learners.

When Terry and Herb Lewis learned of the opportunity to support the demonstration garden, they knew they had to be involved. The Lewises are passionate about supporting local conservation, biodiversity, and environmental efforts and have given generously throughout the years to HudsonAlpha’s Center for Plant Science and Sustainable Agriculture. 

Certified as a master gardener, Terry assists Herb in designing new updates to their backyard garden, as well as their bird sanctuary garden. Herb is adept at bringing their vision to reality. Because many of the couple’s shared interests involve nature and gardening, supporting HudsonAlpha’s research to protect our planet and build a healthier environment felt natural.

“I’m a conservationist at heart and a passionate birder. I want to help improve our planet and protect wildlife, and HudsonAlpha is achieving that,” said Herb. “Through research, HudsonAlpha is identifying sustainable ways to farm and grow plants. It’s a cleaner way of creating a better environment.”

In addition to their philanthropic support, the Lewises have been champions of HudsonAlpha’s educational programs. As members of the HudsonAlpha Alumni Association, the couple values HudsonAlpha’s commitment to educating the public about genomic research. It is the very combination of nature and education that inspired them to support the garden with a gift to name it.

Herb Lewis (left) with Dr. Alex Harkess (right), HudsonAlpha Faculty Investigator

“One of the things we love about HudsonAlpha is how open and transparent the Institute is about the work its researchers do,” said Herb. “To us, the garden is a powerful educational tool for the public that makes HudsonAlpha’s mission more approachable and understandable.”

“Because of the garden, people will understand what happens in HudsonAlpha’s greenhouse and why plant research is so important,” said Terry. “What inspired us about the garden is that it benefits the public and brings research to the forefront. People can see how plants are used in research to improve the environment.”

Learn more about the Terry & Herb Lewis Demonstration Garden and take a virtual tour of the adjacent Kathy L. Chan Greenhouse: https://www.hudsonalpha.org/greenhouse.