JENSEN BEACH — A love of plants, waterways or the outdoors could help open the door to a future career for Jensen Beach students.

The Jensen Beach Garden Club is once again offering college scholarships in 2027 to Jensen Beach High School graduates who plan to pursue studies in horticulture, landscape design, environmental science, farming, sustainability, gardening, conservation, botany, turf management, forestry, marine biology or a related field.

Now in its third year, the scholarship program is about more than helping students pay for college. It is an investment in young people who may one day help communities protect waterways, restore shorelines, design sustainable landscapes, improve food production, manage forests and preserve natural habitats.

Past scholarship recipients are already beginning that journey, pursuing degrees in marine biology, environmental science and engineering, with several becoming involved in land conservation, environmental law and water quality studies.

Those fields can lead in many directions. A horticulture student might become a plant scientist, while a landscape design student could become a landscape architect creating resilient communities. Studies in agronomy could lead to a career as an agricultural specialist improving how and where food is grown.

A marine biology student might become a coastal restoration scientist working to restore shorelines and protect marine habitats. Others may become botanists, foresters, conservation scientists, water quality specialists, turfgrass professionals or sustainability consultants.

A young person who simply loves being outdoors may discover that passion can become a profession.

For the Jensen Beach Garden Club, the connection between education and the future of natural resources is especially meaningful. Founded in 1950, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has more than 120 members and a 75-year history of community service.

Club members and local volunteers recently partnered with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association on shoreline restoration efforts to help protect the Indian River Lagoon and with the Martin County Orchid Society to help reestablish endangered native orchids.

The club also supports educational programs at the Environmental Studies Center, Florida Oceanographic Society and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County.

Members maintain gardens at Indian Riverside Park, the award-winning Butterfly Garden at Hoke Library and the Senior Center at Langford Park, often working alongside local Scouts and Jensen Beach High School JROTC volunteers.

These partnerships give young people an opportunity to see conservation, horticulture and community service in action. The scholarship program carries that connection one step further, linking work being done in Martin County today with the people who may carry it forward tomorrow.

Community support makes that possible. Proceeds from the Jensen Beach Garden Club’s Annual Garden Expo, together with public and private sponsorships, help the club expand its charitable giving and investment in education and local programs.

The next Garden Expo will be Feb. 27, 2027.

For the Garden Club, helping a student take the first step toward a career is another way of planting something today that could benefit communities for decades to come.

Graduating Jensen Beach High School seniors may apply through XELLO via ClassLink. Eligibility requirements include an application, an essay, official transcripts, a resume and two letters of recommendation. Applicants must plan to attend an accredited two- or four-year college or university.

For information, visit jensenbeachgardenclub.com.