NATIONAL GARDEN CLUBS INC. ANNOUNCES
2009 AWARD OF EXCELLENCE WINNERS

ST. LOUIS—National Garden Clubs Inc. recently announced the winners of its highest honor: the national 2009 Award of Excellence competition. The winners, who were recognized at NGC’s annual convention May 18 in Houston, are: the Maryland-based Alice Ferguson Foundation; John Wheaton Trexler, the executive director of the Worcester County (Mass.) Horticultural Society; and Ann Taylor Moore, a Bunnell, Fla., environmentalist and advocate for water conservation and education.

Established in 1954, the Alice Ferguson Foundation (www.fergusonfoundation.org) received the Award of Excellence in recognition of its efforts to provide ongoing community education for the protection and conservation of local natural resources, farming and the cultural heritage of the Potomac River Watershed. The foundation offers curriculum-based educational programs to more than 10,000 students annually in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., areas at the Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center, a 330-acre working farm and native woodland, and through Bridging the Watershed, an off-site program that provides high-school students with field studies opportunities at national parks. The foundation also coordinates the annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup, the largest regional event of its kind. The Alice Ferguson Foundation’s nomination was sponsored by the National Capital Area Garden Clubs Inc.

Ann Taylor Moore has served since 1995 as coordinator for Lake Disston LakeWatch, an environmental group that has been successful in its efforts to have Lake Disston named an Outstanding Florida Water. She also served for many years as a governing board member of the St. John’s River Management District, where she helped shape water policy for the State of Florida.

Moore holds bachelor’s degrees from Stetson University, Deland, Fla., and Columbia University, New York. She also holds a master’s degree from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. Moore is a graduate of the University of Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute. Moore’s nomination was sponsored by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc.

John Wheaton Trexler is being recognized for his service to plant societies and gardening organizations, as well as for his dedication to preserving and enhancing the environment. A talented horticulturist and visionary, Trexler was instrumental in creating and developing Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Mass., which offers 132 acres of lush gardens, meadows and woodland trails. Tower Hill Botanic Garden is owned and operated by the non-profit Worcester County Horticultural Society, which was incorporated in 1842 and is the third-oldest horticultural society in the United States.

Trexler holds a bachelor’s degree from Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture in Doylestown, Pa. Trexler’s nomination was sponsored by The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts Inc.

National Garden Clubs Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that marks its 80th anniversary this year. With nearly 200,000 members and 6,300 member clubs across the U.S., NGC offers extensive educational programs and a variety of informative print and electronic publications and resources to promote gardening and environmental responsibility. NGC is headquartered in St. Louis, adjacent to the world-famous Missouri Botanical Garden. For more information on NGC, visit www.gardenclub.org.

Download the complete Awards of Excellence Winners press release as a WORD document.