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Pollinator Garden Dedicated for President Carter's 90th Birthday

Contact: Deanna Congileo, dcongil@emory.edu

ATLANTA — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter celebrated his 90th birthday at The Carter Center today with cake and a tour of a new butterfly garden created in honor of his special day.

The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Pollinator Garden at The Carter Center is filled with flowers and plants native to Georgia and is part of the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail, developed by the former first lady to draw attention to the plight of endangered monarch butterflies. Volunteers from Trees Atlanta and the De Roode Lab at Emory University, which provided the seedlings for the garden, will help monitor and maintain its plants.  The garden is certified by Monarch Watch as an official monarch way station, and is listed as a certified wildlife habitat of the National Wildlife Federation. The garden features milkweed, the host plant monarch butterflies need to complete their life cycle, and a variety of plants that can host Georgia's state butterfly, the tiger swallowtail.  An array of nectar plants also will appeal to other pollinator species, particularly bees and wasps, and birds.  Visitors are welcome to drop by the garden, which also features two Japanese-style arbors made by local artist Jesse Reep.

Ambassador (Ret.) Mary Ann Peters, Carter Center CEO, presided over the presidential birthday celebration, which was attended by staff, interns, volunteers and board members of The Carter Center and the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum. Attendees sang "Happy Birthday" to President Carter and presented him with a cake, while thousands of others around the world helped celebrate by posting well-wishes on the Center's website.

President Carter was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and spent seven years serving in the Navy before returning to Georgia, where he ran the family farm before entering politics. Carter served two terms as a state senator, was elected governor in 1970, and became the 39th president of the United States in 1976. During his time in office, he normalized U.S. relations with China, brokered peace between Israel and Egypt, signed a nuclear arms reduction treaty with the Soviet Union, and achieved the Panama Canal treaties. In 1982, he founded The Carter Center, a not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization working to "wage peace, fight disease, and build hope" worldwide. It has since monitored 96 elections in 38 countries and virtually eradicated Guinea worm disease, reducing cases by 99.9 percent. In 2002, President Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Today, at age 90, he remains active in the Center's work and spends leisure hours writing books, fly fishing, handcrafting furniture, and painting.  

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"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care.  The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.

Remarks by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at The Carter Center Celebration for His 90th Birthday

Rosalynn Carter's Remarks at The Carter Center's 90th Birthday Celebration for Former President Jimmy Carter

The Gift of a Garden

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