Chapter
of the
Year
- 2002 -
- 2006 -
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NPSOT Chapter of the Year - 2002 - - 2006 - |
The Standing Up for Natives (SUN) Award recognizes individuals in our community who defend native plants and plant habitats through example or education.
Debbie Reid has been one of this area's most innovative and influential stewards of native plants and the general ecosystem. During the mid 1990s, she was a Naturalist at Friedrich Park in northwestern San Antonio. While there, Debbie conceived of the Master Naturalist program. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department urban biologists Rufus Stephens and Judit Green and others helped her create and implement the Texas Master Naturalist training classes, first held at Friedrich Park. Now there are at least four Master Naturalist programs in the Hill Country and many more around the state. This volunteer program also has spread to over 30 other states and another country. That effort alone is an impressive legacy for Reid. In 1997, she was hired to be the first and only Arborist for San Antonio when the city adopted its first tree-protection ordinance. To better understand urban development, Reid went back to her alma mater Texas A&M to take a class in heavy machinery. In trying to enforce the tree ordinances in San Antonio, most developers and environmentalists alike found her to be knowledgeable, fair, and willing to work hard to find equitable compromises. Debbie Reid recently resigned from the San Antonio job to go to Mexico with the Peace Corps. She hopes to work with federal and local government agencies to improve forestry practices in Mexico. Another pioneering adventure for this creative ecologist!
Chuck Janzow was a pioneer in promoting native plants in the Boerne community. Chuck was propagating native plants and encouraging their use in landscaping long before there was a NPSOT chapter in Boerne. Janzow was a science teacher at Boerne High School for over 30 years and was Chairman of the Science Department for many years. Almost 20 years ago, Janzow's wife Martha Barker said she wanted to purchase some bushes of evergreen sumac for their yard. His response was, "I can grow those." That started Janzow's experimentation with propagating many of the local native shrubs and trees. He was quite successful at this and eventually became a wholesale supplier of several native plants. His backyard nursery commonly grows native plants that few other nursery people attempt to propagate. Many of the bigtooth maples and Texas madrones in various nurseries around the Hill Country were supplied to the retailers by Janzow and Barker's Green Cloud Nursery. Chuck, a self-taught horticulturist, has gained the admiration of his peers with his success in propagating native plants, especially from seeds. In her second edition of "How to Grow Native Plants," Jill Nokes lists Chuck Janzow among her "collaborators" and cites his advice many times in her text. ( more...)
The Lende Foundation was the fifth recipient of the Sun Award. The foundation provided a $10,000.00 grant to be renewed annually for 10 years for the sole purpose of establishing the Bigtooth Maple on grand scale back to the Hill Country. Over 100 trees were awarded to qualifying residents in the Boerne City limits at an Award Ceremony at the Agricultural Heritage Museum which included a tree planting and care demonstration. These trees will provide beautiful fall color in years to come thanks to the generosity and foresight of the Lende Foundation.
Chris Turk, Boerne City Planner is a long time supporter of native flora. He was an early champion of the Cibolo Wilderness Trail and of native-plant landscaping on city property. Take a look at Veterans Park, City Park, Cibolo Nature Center, Boerne Cemetery, and River Road Park and you will see and appreciate his utilization of native plants.
Linda Donarski, City Parks and Recreation Director and Chris Turk accepted our chapter's proposal to adopt a section of the No. 9 Greenway. Betty Dunn, Rebecca Rogers and Bill Ward represented our chapter and submitted a proposal to landscape an area using native trees and shrubs. Chris and Linda agreed and granted us the Blanco Road Rest Station. In the spring, Texas mountain laurel, Mexican plum and red bud trees will provide blossoms and wonderful sweet smells along the trail. Already, the big-tooth maple and cedar elm have provided us with fall color.
Our second recipient was Marilyn Tremper, Cibolo Nature Center Board Member and chairperson of their Mostly Native Plant Sale. This well attended annual event held in April, promotes native plants and educates the public on the environmental benefits of native plant gardens.
Our first award was presented to Bob and Dani Vollmer, residents of the City of Boerne. They created an urban native-plant landscape and successfully persuaded our city leaders to waive a city ordinance requiring them to cut their native grasses and wildflowers before they had gone to seed. Now, with a better understanding of the importance of native plants in water conservation and quality, the City Council discusses ways to encourage and preserve native plants.