Brooklyn Botanic Garden Publications Receive Four 2008 Silver Awards of Achievement from the Garden Writers Association and Citation of Special Merit from the American Horticultural Society

Brooklyn, NY—June 6—Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) received four 2008 Silver Awards of Achievement from the Garden Writers Association (GWA)—the nonprofit association of professionals who communicate about horticulture, gardening, and the environment. This national award recognizes individuals and companies who achieve the highest levels of talent and professionalism in garden publications. The awards aim to provide public recognition for excellence in gardening-related communications in all media. In addition, the American Horticultural Society (AHS) awarded its first-ever Citation of Special Merit to BBG for the Garden's All-Region Guide series. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guides are the only series of popular gardening books published by a botanic garden in North America.

Garden Writers Association Awards

BBG's first All-Region Guide for children, Gardening With Children, received the prestigious Overall Product: Book award. BBG has been recognized as the nation's foremost authority on gardening education for children for more than 90 years and this groundbreaking book captures that spirit and experience. Authored by members of BBG's expert Children's Education staff, Gardening With Children is designed to awaken a child''s sense of wonder about the natural world while nourishing cognitive functioning and self-confidence. The book explores basic ecological concepts through more than 40 thought-provoking, hands-on activities. The creative projects are geared for 6- to 10-year-old children who garden or explore along with an adult caregiver; older children will be able to enjoy the book independently. And with easy-to-understand text, original color illustrations on every page, and a larger format that allows the book to stay open while working through activities, Gardening With Children is a cheerful and engaging picture book.

Illustrator SAm Tomasello received honors in the Book Illustration category for her colorful and detailed artwork in Gardening With Children. Although abstracted, each scene depicted represents actual plants and botanically accurate situations. Tomasello has been recognized for her work rendering nature, science, and fantasy for publishing, exhibits, and interactive media.

BBG was also honored in the Electronic Media category for the "Big City, Big Trees" interpretive web feature on the Garden's website, bbg.org, that was a complimentary element of the successful 2007 interpretive trail of the same name. The multimedia web feature, which can be viewed at bbg.org/exp/bigtrees/, provides an interactive overview of seven of the Garden's big trees and a photo gallery of compelling tree images. In addition, visitors can listen to an engaging audio tour by Chris Roddick, BBG's expert arborist and author of The Tree Care Primer All-Region Guide (2007). A video showing tree pruning at its most exciting can also be viewed from the Garden's YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook pages. And finally, the web feature provides information on street tree and tree-bed care that can be downloaded and printed by website visitors.

In addition, graphic artist Elizabeth Ennis received an award for her elegant cover design for the exhibition catalog for Drawing From Life: Maud H. Purdy and 90 Years of Women Artists at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, BBG's landmark gallery exhibit. The Drawing From Life exhibition catalog was written by Patricia Jonas, director of Library Services and the curator of the exhibition and BBG's Florilegium collection. BBG received its first-ever grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to fund this catalog. The cover features one of Maud H. Purdy's most iconic works, Ipomoea tricolor (1941), and Ennis was awarded the Graphic Design: Cover award for her treatment. The catalog was printed locally by a "green" printer.

"It is a great validation for Brooklyn Botanic Garden and our team of authors, editors, designers, and plant experts to be recognized with these Silver Achievement awards by a jury of GWA professionals," said Elizabeth Peters, director of Publications, Brooklyn Botanic Garden. "Strategically, we aim to communicate with our visitors and varied audiences across a broad spectrum of communication platforms. We've been reaching out in new and in some cases, breakthrough media, while maintaining the Garden's sterling reputation for our print publications," Peters explained. "It is therefore particularly gratifying to be recognized simultaneously for our work in a variety of publication formats, including web media, a special exhibit catalog, and our first All-Region Guide for families," she added.

The Garden Writers Association Media Awards showcase the communicators, photographers, illustrators, publishers, and graphic designers who have pursued excellence in gardening communication. "The Media Award winners have been judged by industry experts and show significant distinction and merits that exemplify exceptional work," says Anne Marie Van Nest, president of GWA. "The Media Award winners have been judged by industry experts and show significant distinction and merits that exemplify exceptional work."

The American Horticultural Society Awards

In related news, the Garden's All-Region Guides were honored by the American Horticultural Society (AHS) with a special, first-ever Citation of Special Merit in recognition of this series' outstanding contribution to horticultural literature

Scot Medbury, president of Brooklyn Botanic Garden will attend the outdoor ceremony at River Farm for the American Horticultural Society's annual Great American Gardeners Awards Ceremony and Banquet, to be held, Friday, June 6, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. to accept the award on behalf of the Garden. http://www.ahs.org/river_farm/events.htm#080606

In addition, Brooklyn Botanic Garden Trustee, Renny Reynolds will receive a Frances Jones Poetker Award, as part of the Great American Gardeners Awards Program, in honor of his significant contributions to floral design in publications, on the platform, and to the public. On Friday, The American Horticultural Society will announce twelve distinguished recipients of the Society's 2008 Great American Gardeners Awards. Individuals, organizations, and businesses that receive these awards represent the best in American gardening. Each has contributed significantly to fields such as plant research, garden communication, landscape design, youth gardening, teaching, and conservation.

Ordering Information

All-Region Guides are available at a discount directly from Brooklyn Botanic Garden's online store at shop.bbg.org, or by calling 718-623-7286. All-Region Guides are also available at bookstores and garden centers for $9.95 in the U.S./$10.95 in Canada. For wholesale ordering information, call Sterling Publishing at 800-367-9692 or visit www.sterlingpub.com. To receive a free brochure of current and past handbook titles, call 718-623-7241 or visit bbg.org/handbooks.