Chipper Wichman

2018 Medal of Honor

In recognition of his visionary leadership of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and dedicated service to the preservation of tropical plants and their habitats.

Proposed by: The Garden Club of Honolulu, Zone XII

A childhood love of Hawaiian plants led Chipper Wichman to his life’s work: the discovery and conservation of tropical plants and their habitats. Under his leadership the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) has become an internationally-renowned resource for horticulture education, research and the preservation of endangered plants. NTBG contains the world's largest collection of federally-listed endangered plant species. Headquartered on Kauai, NTBG consists of four gardens on three Hawaiian Islands plus The Kampong, located south of Miami. In addition, there are five preserves for native species in the Hawaiian Islands. With his wife, Hau’oli, Chipper donated 998 acres to create one of these preserves. Through his efforts, the 2016 World Conservation Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature assembled in Hawaii, the first time to convene in the U.S. during its 68-year history. Chipper is an internationally recognized voice for conservation and sustainability issues. He is truly a global leader in horticulture and conservation.

The Medal of Honor is awarded for outstanding service to horticulture.

The Medal of Honor is The Garden Club of America's oldest national award. It was first given to Charles Sprague Sargent, a Harvard University professor and the founding director of the Arnold Arboretum, in 1920, and endowed in 1963 by the Bedford Garden Club, Zone III, in memory of member Alice Mary Sloane Anderson (Mrs. Arthur Marvin Anderson: 1888–1961). The medal was designed in 1920 by sculptor John Flanagan who also designed the original US quarter dollar coin that was first issued in 1932.

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