The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies
School: Master’s student, Plant Biology and Conservation, Arizona State University

A Taxonomic and Genetic Investigation of the Rare Plant Rumex orthoneurus

The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies
School: Undergraduate, Landscape Architecture and Sustainability, Arizona State University

Summer Internship at Desert Botanical Garden

Rziha will participate in a summer internship at Desert Botanical Garden and will partner with staff members from the Collections, Research, and Horticulture departments. Working on a rotational basis in several areas will expose Rziha to a wide variety of horticulture-related topics. Rziha hopes to expand an understanding of native plants, animals, and processes to create designs that support natural ecosystems as well as human use.

The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies

Measuring and Monitoring Selaginella lepidophylla Populations: Are the Current Rates of Commercial Harvest Sustainable?

The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies

Summer Internship at Desert Botanical Garden

Forstner’s summer internship at Desert Botanical Garden will allow study of all aspects of desert gardens and conservation. Working with the organization’s staff, Forstner will obtain hands-on experience in multiple departments and will learn about plant collections, research procedure, and landscape and garden design.

The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies
School: Master’s Student, Environmental Sciences & Policy Program and The Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes, Northern Arizona University

Using a Geographic Mosaic of Climate Variation to Assess Genetic vs. Environmental Sources of Variation in Populus fremontii Leaf Venation

Garthwaite studies climate change effects on Fremont Cottonwoods, to conserve this iconic foundation tree species. Combining advanced histology and innovative image analysis methods, she uses the Southwest Experimental Garden Array and digital herbarium specimens to understand the relationship between climate and Fremont Cottonwoods across spatial and temporal scales.  Her goal is to communicate her findings to conservation practitioners to advance climate-related adaptive management strategies for Southwestern riparian corridors.

The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies
School: Master’s Student, Landscape Architecture, Arizona State University

Desert Botanical Garden, Summer 2021

Mohr will research varied topics during the summer at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.  He will rotate among their multiple departments, including collections and planting design, pest management, and rare species management and research.

The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies

Research into Biological Soil Crusts (Biocrusts)


Lauren Baldarelli is a Ph.D. candidate at Kent State University majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology. Her research focus is on biocrusts of the American Southwest. Biocrusts interest her as important organisms in arid landscapes that contribute significantly to ecosystem services. Baldarelli’s current research involves understanding how soil type, nutrient availability, and elevation affect the abundance and composition of biocrusts. She will investigate this by estimating biocrust cover and measuring enzymatic activity along a 2,000-meter elevational gradient between Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona.

The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies

William Hartman is a junior at Oregon State University majoring in horticulture. Building on his background as a full-time firefighter and his research at Denver Botanic Gardens, Hartman will enhance his understanding of desert plant species, particularly those that are re resistant. For his project, he will design a Firewise® demonstration garden utilizing sustainable native plant species with a thoughtful design to combat the growing threat of wild res in Colorado.

The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies

Lauren Reeves is a third-year landscape architecture student at Arizona State University. Working at the Desert Botanical Garden, she will research desert plants to gain understanding of their use in sustainable landscape design. This knowledge will advance her studies on Low Impact Development strategies in the arid environment. She will also use Geographic Information Systems to enhance the Desert Botanical Garden’s tree inventory and gain valuable horticultural knowledge about function and care of trees in the desert landscape.

The Garden Club of America Award in Desert Studies

Garrett Langefels is a sophomore majoring in landscape architecture at Arizona State University. While interning at the 140-acre Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, he will advance his knowledge of desert plants and their use in landscape design. He will also focus on sustainability in desert regions and on new strategies for protecting native bird habitats from the constant threat of human development. Hoping to make Moeur Park in Tempe more hospitable for roadrunners, for example, Langefels is working on an exhibition at the park to emphasize the importance of conserving the dwindling natural desert within the Phoenix metropolitan area.