Wellington Garden Club Members Receive Several Prestigious Honors

Wellington Garden Club members and local youth recently received awards and recognition from the National Garden Clubs, the Deep South Region and the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs.

The National Garden Clubs, a not-for-profit educational organization with more than 180,000 members, recognized Lisa Ferrano with a Member Award of Honor, one of only eight given in the United States. Ferrano’s volunteer achievements in the community over several years were cited, especially her work with local youth and Habitat for Humanity landscaping.

The Wellington Garden Club’s two-year efforts to promote wildlife through educational programs for members and the public, together with the club’s participation in various field trips featuring wildlife and special wildlife programs for youth, received a first place national President’s Special Projects Award.

In addition, two students sponsored by the local club were honored.

In the Recycled Sculpture Youth Contest, Hunter Tota received the first-place award for fourth grade and Emily Oschmann received an honorable mention at the sixth-grade level.

Of the many awards given by the Deep South Region and the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, the most outstanding achievement recognized was the planting of 1,200 small slash pines and mahogany trees provided by the Village of Wellington in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Environmental Preserve.

ABOVE: Lisa Ferrano was presented the Member Award of Honor by former National Garden Club President Barbara May.