Susan Carpenter, Arboretum native plant gardener, received the Martha Casey Award for Excellence on April 12, 2017

Susan Carpenter, the Arboretum’s native plant gardener, received the Martha Casey Award for Dedication to Excellence on April 12 at a reception for eight UW–Madison academic staff honorees. The energy and commitment Susan Carpenter brings every day to the Arboretum, coupled with her willingness to enthusiastically contribute wherever needed, make her the embodiment of the unsung hero. She maintains the 4-acre native plant garden with the assistance of dedicated students and volunteers, and provides myriad training and educational activities for the public. She treats every gardening session as a chance to teach and invoke science. Over the past five years, she developed a highly successful bumblebee conservation project, putting the Arboretum on the map with respect to pollinator conservation. And she never hesitates to step in and help keep things running smoothly, always applying her broad experience and deep knowledge of native plants and the Arboretum’s operations in creative ways. We, her Arboretum colleagues, congratulate her on a well-deserved award, and invite others to take advantage of opportunities to learn from and work with her as a volunteer, on a garden tour, or at a workshop.

Adapted from the UW News photo story, April 11, 2017