Craig Barrow

2018 Margaret Douglas Medal

Awarded to Diana Barrow and Craig Barrow. For their creative vision establishing Wormsloe Institute for Environmental History. True stewards of the land, their dedication to conservation and education will inspire future generations.

Proposed by: Trustees' Garden Club, Zone VIII

In 1736, Wormsloe, a plantation near Savannah, was granted to Noble Jones, an ancestor of Craig Barrow. Diana and Craig Barrow are the ninth generation of the family to live at Wormsloe. In 2007, they created The Wormsloe Institute for Environmental History on the 1,500-acre site, supporting research and educational programming, thus preserving the site for future generations. Administered by the Barrows and the University of Georgia, the Wormsloe historic site and The Wormsloe Institute for Environmental History serve as examples for similar properties. Here scholars examine the ecology, cultural history, and historical land-use practices through the lens of environmental history. Historical insights are applied to modern conservation. Projects include an active archeological site, a heritage garden, a long-leaf pine habitat, an innovative GIS mapping project, pollinator research, and studies of endangered gopher tortoises, crab parasites, and the soil. By inspiring others with their generosity and creative vision, Diana and Craig Barrow will provide opportunities for research and service for succeeding generations.

The Margaret Douglas Medal is awarded for notable service to the cause of conservation education.

The Margaret Douglas Medal was endowed by Priscilla Sleeper Sterling (Mrs. Robert D. Sterling), Garden Club of Dublin and Monadnock Garden Club, both Zone I, to honor Margaret Bell Douglas (Mrs. Walter Douglas: 1890–1963), GCA member-at-large. The medal was designed by Art Deco sculptor Rene Paul Chambellan in 1952. A native of Canada, Margaret spent much of her adult life in the American Southwest and Mexico. She is credited with the introduction of the papaya crop to Mexico and she helped establish the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ. She was the recipient of the GCA’s Achievement Medal in 1954.

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