Growing impact through a secret garden

Begovac Family Secret Garden Endowment

Nestled between the Physical Sciences Building and Science Annex, NAU’s very own Secret Garden is a secluded oasis offering tranquility and solitude for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. What was originally an abandoned and overgrown space was transformed thanks to a collaboration between the NAU Green Fund, School of Earth and Sustainability professor Dr. Denielle Perry, and Flagstaff residents Susan, ’96, Paul, ’78, Lynn, ’12, and Jennifer Begovac.

When you first step foot in the garden, you are greeted by fresh air, sounds of birds, trickling water, and a sign encouraging you to “enjoy nature’s lessons.” It’s hard to imagine this now green and thriving space was scheduled to be turned into a concrete slab. Thanks to quick action during a lunch meeting by Jason Wilder, vice president of research at NAU and former dean of the College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences (CEFNS), he connected the dots between the impact the Begovac family wanted to have on campus and the original plans presented by Denielle her students, and the Green Fund.

The Begovac family have been long-time generous supporters of the Undergraduate Research Symposium, providing permanent support for the symposium and student awards. However, their True Blue and gold affiliations run even deeper, with Susan’s entire family working for NAU in the 1970s and 1980s. When talking about additional philanthropic ways they could engage with NAU, it was Susan’s eyes that lit up at the possibility of preserving an outdoor space on campus, connecting her personal love and adoration of nature.

“This gift is all about paying it forward and saving a small greenspace environment for the NAU community,” Paul said. “All the leg-work was done—the students, the Green Fund, Denielle, and the staff developed the plans—the team just needed sustainable funding. It was magic how it all came together.”

From their initial meeting on September 8, 2021, things moved rather quickly. On February 25, 2022, they did a ground-breaking and started preliminary work on transforming the space. By the fall of 2022, Denielle’s Environmental (ENV) 181 students were adding the finishing touches, planting native edible and pollinator plant species, bringing in Subpod vermiculture compositing units, a reclaimed water feature, and relaxing seating to take it all in.

“The space was thick with elm trees that stifled out lower plum trees, contained trash and debris from building construction, and had a history of flooding when it rains,” Denielle’s said. “My office used to have a window that overlooked the overgrown courtyard, and I remember thinking it was such a waste, and there’s got to be something better we can do with it.”

Denielle brought the project to her ENV 181 students, who submitted proposals for their vision of the garden. Taking elements and the best qualities from each one, she drafted the original plans. Working with Janel Wilcox in NAU’s landscape architecture team, the plans were finessed and brought to life. Local Flagstaff landscaping company Morning Dew did the heavy lifting, grading the area, and planting large trees, and ENV 181 students did the rest. The Green Fund was the original financer, but to ensure it could be maintained for perpetuity, the Begovacs stepped in to provide long-term funding through their Begovac Family Secret Garden Endowment. What was once a forgotten Physical Sciences Atrium Project was reborn as the Secret Garden Atrium, an outdoor nature sanctuary open to all to de-stress and relax while surrounded by plants native to the Colorado Plateau.

“Studies show that access to water can increase someone’s well-being and that digging in the soil stirs up microbes that can boost your mood,” Denielle said. “Climate change and environmental issues are heavy, with students feeling a tremendous amount of ecological grief. The space can help reduce anxiety and stress, give students agency to provide change, and feel empowered to help the planet.”

It was a confluence of ideas that brought this project together. A plan driven by student involvement, propelled by collaboration with campus partners, and appreciated by the right donors is now preserved for years to come and can be enjoyed by many.

“I got to be part of the ground-breaking as a member of the Green Fund, and it was one of my favorite projects. I am so appreciative of the Begovacs for stewarding the space,” said Kiley Feld, ’23, recent alumna and now part-time faculty in the School of Earth and Sustainability. “I look forward to promoting the space to my students and will encourage them to take advantage of this garden, using it as a haven to take a pause between classes.”

On September 7, 2023, a dedication ceremony took place to recognize the Begovacs and honor the garden’s transformation. NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera joined by CEFNS Dean Roger Haro and Denielle welcomed guests and shared remarks. Filled with NAU students, faculty, staff, and supporters, the Secret Garden was unveiled and appreciated for the unique sanctuary it was destined to be.

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