Small Seeds. Big Impact.
How GCA Honorees are Restoring Nature One Native Plant at a Time
August 05, 2026
What do a prairie conservationist, a bestselling author, a public garden leader, and the visionary behind the world's largest seed vault have in common? Each has been recognized by the GCA for helping restore the natural world—one native seed at a time. Their work is helping protect biodiversity, support pollinators, and strengthen the landscapes that sustain us all. Together, their efforts reflect the goals of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
The GCA celebrates the work of its honorary members and medalists—today’s leaders in ecological restoration:
- Honorary member Dwayne Estes, co-founder of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, is working to restore the nation’s prairies with native seed.
- The GCA’s 2025 Eloise Payne Luquer Medal recipient and author, Robin Wall Kimmerer, is motivating communities to restore nature’s bounty by planting native seeds through her Plant Baby Plant campaign.
- Uli Lorimer, the GCA’s 2026 Distinguished Service Medal recipient, is working through theNortheast Seed Network to provide locally adapted native seed for ecological restoration from sustainably managed sources.
- Cary Fowler, the GCA’s 2019 Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor Medal recipient, helped establish Norway’s Svalbard Global Seed Vault, safeguarding crop diversity for future generations.
Visit the GCA’s website to learn more about GCA’s honorary members and medalists.
_1wif69h0e544v.png "North Suffolk Garden Club Hosted an Informative Talk on How Native Plant Rain Gardens Help Filter Contaminants and Keep Waterways Clean")
.jpg "From Wetlands and High Desert to Urban Forests and Pollinator Research, 130 Scholar Projects are Funded by GCA")
