The Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance (GPCA), headquartered at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at UGA, received a 2019 Environmental Excellence Award in the category of “Ecosystem, Habitat, and Wildlife” from the Federal Highway Administration for its work with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).
This award recognizes GDOT’s unique partnership with the GPCA for over 20 years to restore rare plant community habitats, safeguard protected plant species, and address invasive plant species across the state both on and off rights-of-way. The GPCA crafted and maintains a centralized database to collaboratively monitor priority species and a network of “Botanical Guardians” to monitor protected plant communities, which has resulted in successful mitigation and restoration.”
This biennial award recognizes leaders across the country who make outstanding contributions to environmental stewardship and partnerships above and beyond traditional transportation project outcomes.
Mincy Moffett, a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and GPCA awards chair, accepted the award from the Federal Highway Administration on Aug. 7th. State Botanical Garden Director Jenny Cruse-Sanders will attend the Aug. 27 DNR meeting, where the GPCA will be recognized.
The GPCA is a network of more than 40 Georgia universities, botanical gardens, zoos, state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, and private companies that are committed to ecological land management, native plant conservation, and protection of rare and endangered plants. Its mission is to study and conserve Georgia’s flora through multidisciplinary research, education, and advocacy; facilitate the recovery of rare, threatened, and endangered plants of Georgia and the southeast through collaborative efforts.