Hilltop Garden and Nature Center (Bloomington, Ind.)

Founded in 1948, the Hilltop Garden and Nature Center was designed to promote community gardening at Indiana University. From the beginning, Hilltop was jointly sponsored by IU, the city of Bloomington's Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Bloomington Garden Club.

The Hilltop Garden and Nature Center, a program designed to promote community gardening at Indiana University, was founded in 1948. From the beginning, Hilltop was jointly sponsored by Indiana University, the city of Bloomington, Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Bloomington Garden Club.

In the spring of 1948, Hilltop began its first season with a one acre alfalfa field belonging to the Indiana University Department of Botany which was re-designated as space for community gardening programs. Barbara Shalucha, a professor in the Indiana University Department of Botany, was Hilltop's first director. Before coming to Bloomington, Shalucha had worked with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's children's gardening programs and her enthusiasm for community gardening programs led to the establishment of Hilltop. Shalucha was associated with Hilltop throughout her career at Indiana University, serving as director until her retirement in 1986, as well as teaching courses in the Department of Botany.

Hilltop's youth gardening programs started in 1948, with only fourteen children enrolled, but quickly grew in popularity. By 1957, 170 children were participating in Hilltop's summer gardening programs. When Hilltop celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998 thousands of Bloomington's children had learned about gardening through Hilltop's youth gardening programs.

Shalucha maintained professional contacts with other community gardens both in the United States and abroad. As a direct result, she welcomed visitors from various community gardens to Hilltop Garden and Nature Center.

Over the years Shalucha worked with many people in both Bloomington and the Indiana University community, including university chancellor Herman B Wells, to gain support for Hilltop's programs.

The Hilltop Garden Council was founded in 1973 as an adjunct to the Bloomington Garden Club. The council's function was to promote Hilltop throughout the Bloomington community. It also had the responsibility of providing sponsorship for seasonal programming and fundraising activities.

The Hilltop Educational Foundation was formed in 1991 to raise funds for an expansion of Hilltop's facilities. Due to the support of both the Hilltop Garden Council and the Hilltop Educational Foundation, Hilltop Garden has been able to expand its programs and its facilities to accommodate projects such as an herb garden and a daffodil garden. Special events, such as Hilltop's Spring Festival, have become perennial favorites with Bloomington community members of all ages. Today the Hilltop Garden and Nature Center has expanded to occupy five acres at its original location near 10th Street and the By-pass in Bloomington. The program continues to be administered jointly by Indiana University and the city of Bloomington. After Shalucha's retirement in 1986, responsibility for administration of Hilltop was transferred from the Department of Botany to the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.