**ARCHIVED POST **
The Native Plant Society of Texas recognized excellence in writing, acts of conservation and public service, and lifetime achievement in the field of Texas native plants during the annual awards banquet at the Austin Airport Hilton on October 17.
Ricky Linex won the Carroll Abbott Memorial Award for his popular field guide Range Plants of North Central Texas. The award is named for the founder of the Society and is given for writings in the popular vein on Texas native plants. The book was previously reviewed on this site.
Dr Elray Nixon and Bruce Lyndon Cunningham were recognized with the Donovan Stewart Correll Award in the field of scientific writing about native flora for their book Gymnosperms of the United States and Canada. See our earlier review of the book.
Faye Tessnow was awarded the Nancy Benedict Award for helping to establish Texas Native Plant Week.
Flo Oxley was named winner of the Charles Leonard Weddle Award for lifetime achievement. Flo is a popular educator and a former director of plant conservation at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Dawn Stover was awarded the Lynn Lowrey Memorial Award for horticultural achievement. Dawn is a research associate at the SFA Mast Arboretum in Nacogdoches. She is known for commercial propagation of Gaillardia aestavalis var winkleri “Grape Sensation.”
The Native Star Award was given jointly to Bayou Land Conservancy and the Houston Chapter of the Native Prairie Association for their awesome achievement in preserving Lawther Deer Park Prairie. The organizations raised over four million dollars in 2013 to protect this rare prairie. Lan Shen, president of the Houston Chapter of NPAT, accepted the award on behalf of both organizations.
Steven Schwartzman was presented with the Digital Media Award for his wonderful photography blog Portraits of Wildflowers.
Selection of the honorees was by an Awards Committee appointed by the State Board. Linda Knowles served as chair of the committee and presented the awards. Other committee members were Peter Loos and Kim McIntyre. The awards criteria and a complete list of past winners is available on the Awards page.
Kathy Lyles of the Fredericksburg Chapter and Melissa Miller of the San Antonio Chapter were selected by vote of their peers for Benny J. Simpson Fellows Awards for their service and work at both the chapter and state level.
In addition members Cindy Stone, Dell Hood, and Margie McCoy were recognized by the president for their outstanding service to the Society. Cindy was named for her service to Native Plant Week and her dedication to getting milkweed propagation established in the state. Dell Hood was recognized for his continued volunteer efforts after completion of his term on the State Board. Dell chaired the Special Projects Committee and chaired the committee to find an assistant coordinator at the State Office. In addition Dell and his wife Gerin serve as State Librarians. Margie McCoy was a popular writer and assistant editor of our magazine, and a long-time leader of her East Texas chapter before her death earlier this year.
The Williamson County Chapter was chosen Chapter of the Year for its innovative use of its website and email to facilitate communication among chapter members.
**ARCHIVED POST**
**ARCHIVED POST LINKS & PICTURES MAY NOT WORK**
**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins
