2007 Educational Conference - Award Winners

Carol Czechowski, Awards Chair

It is a great pleasure to announce our Herb Society of America Award Winners for 2007. They will be honored at the Educational Conference and Annual Meeting of Members in May in Scottsdale, Arizona. Please plan to join members and friends of The Society as our recipients receive this well deserved recognition. The awards and their recipients are:

The Helen de Conway Little Medal of Honor recognizing someone who has made outstanding contributions to The Herb Society of America or to the world of horticulture in general will be presented to Mary (Tunkie) Bowler Miller.Tunkie has served The Society tirelessly with enthusiasm and vision. She drafted the Library Acquisitions Policy and was instrumental in the creation of the Rosemary Circle. Perhaps most importantly, as the active and dedicated chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee and later as the first chairman of the Development Committee, Tunkie and her team created funding strategies to both support the mission of and to provide a secure future for the Society.

The Nancy Putnam Howard Award for Excellence in Horticulture will be presented to Ellen Scannell. Ellen has often given lectures and written and developed award-winning programs for the Master Gardener Association and the general public in New Jersey and Oregon. Her monthly newsletter articles on herbs have been brought together and published in a book, Herban Renewal, a copy of which is in the HSA Library. Her crowning achievement has been the lavender display garden at the Oregon State University Extension Center. Ellen and her team designed geometrically-shaped beds that boast over 70 Lavendula species and cultivars.

The Gertrude B. Foster Award for Excellence in Herbal Literature will be presented to Judith Sumner, Ph.D. Two of Dr. Sumner’s books display both superb scholarship and readability: The Natural History of Medicinal Plants and American Household Botany: A History of Useful Plants, 1620-1900.The latter was the winner of the American Horticultural Society Book Award. These books come at a time when interest in medicinal plants by the general public is increasing. Her teaching experience lets her write about the history and science of plants in a way that can be understood by the lay reader. She presents a great deal of information along with a zest for story telling. Judith is on the faculty of Assumption College and has been published in The Herbarist.

The Joanna McQuail Reed Award for the Artistic Use of Herbs will be presented to Susan Hight Rountree. Sue is a charter member of the Virginia Commonwealth Unit. She is the author of several well-researched books published by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation on gardening, entertaining and decorating using traditional old favorites to create beautiful herbal decorations and spectacular herbal dishes. Excerpts from her books have also appeared in Horticulture magazine.

Certificates of Achievement honor people who have made significant contributions in various ways to the work of The Society or the world of herbs.

Beverly Fennell has spent a lifetime accumulating a broad knowledge of herbs and how to use them. She taught classes at the prestigious Chef’s Mart in Chicago and opened her own cooking school on her property at Hyssop Hill in Tennessee. Beverly was also in a long-running PBS show on gardening with herbs. Since moving to Little Rock, AR, Beverly has been an active member of the Arkansas Unit, and she has also produced a video on the use and cultivation of herbs.

Lois Jean Howard is an enthusiastic and creative leader in the planning and development for the South Texas Unit’s two major annual events, the Spring Herb Day and the Fall Fair. She constantly comes up with new ideas for creative programs for the unit (sometimes including costumes and original poetry), which allow members to benefit from her scholarship.

Susan Wood is a motivator for the South Texas Unit’s activities. Her organizational skills have served the unit well, from hosting meetings to preparing programs. She has put many hours into maintaining the unit’s herb garden at Sam Houston Park and often opens her own gem of a garden to members. She is a great teacher and guide to gardeners in Houston. Susan is also a well-known artist. She designed and created the posey pin given to the recipient of the Nancy Putnam Howard Award

Certificates of Appreciation are awarded to those who have contributed a great deal personally to The Herb Society or to those who have admirably completed a special assignment or project.

Edward Hacskaylo, Ph.D has been an essential part of volunteer leadership. He is a man of vision and detail, a diplomat and scientist, cook and tireless volunteer for several organizations including the Battle Creek Nature Education Society( Maryland), Tucson Botanical Gardens and Native Seeds SEARCH (Arizona). Ed has spent many years developing, supporting and promoting public education on herbs, native plants and fungi.

Preston “Pat” Miller, M.D. has been a steady contributor to The Herb Society Newsletter and The Herbarist. His thorough and well-researched articles on medicinal herbs and the application of his medical expertise in explaining the possible benefits of use or caution if used have brought Society members new insights into the fascinating uses of herbs in medicine. His herbal knowledge is vast and he is always willing to share it.