The Botanical Garden Society of the Ozarks (BGSO) was incorporated in January 1994 as a non-profit organization. The founder and first Director was Donna Porter who worked tirelessly to see her vision materialize, serving on a volunteer basis from 1993 until 1997. Her paid Director’s position commenced in 1997 through a grant from The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust and continued until her departure in Dec of 2001. Donna’s contributions included: the origination and promotion of the idea of a Botanical Garden for Northwest Arkansas; the formation and development of the non-profit organization; site search; site acquisition through the signing of a 25 year land-lease agreement with the City of Fayetteville for 100 acres of city property on the south shore of Lake Fayetteville; and the initiation and completion of the Master Plan for the BGO, in conjunction with The Portico Group, Public Garden Design Specialists, of Seattle, Washington.