This native species garden at the State Capital Museum and Outreach Center in Olympia is named in
honor of the late Delbert McBride, the museum's curator emeritus and an ethnobotanical expert of
Cowlitz/Quinault descent. It features more than 30 species of native plants.
The garden was created to provide an understanding of the foods, medicines, and other utilitarian
functions derived from the native flora by American Indians in western Washington. The garden serves
as an educational platform for discussion among environmental organizations, Native American
communities, educational institutions, private landowners, and the public. The garden also is a
visual reminder of the need to preserve both the ecosystem and cultural heritage of the Northwest
landscape.
The museum, which is a facility of the Washington State Historical Society, is situated eight blocks
south of the Washington State Capitol campus. The garden is open year-round, accessible to everyone,
and has its best show of plants during the late spring and summer months.
This article appeared as a sidebar in the Winter 2002-2003 issue
of COLUMBIA Magazine: Volume 16, No. 4.