Conservation & Ecological RestorationMadeline Nolan
2016 The Garden Club of America Fellowship in Ecological Restoration
Madeline Nolan is a PhD candidate in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her project is titled, “The influence of seed source diversity on the successful restoration of purple needle grass (Stipa pulchra) in California grasslands.” Her research is focused on the restoration of native grass communities in Southern California. She studies how different restoration techniques influence the survivability and growth of native California grasses during extreme droughts. This information will be used to inform and improve grassland restoration projects.
The Garden Club of America Fellowship in Ecological Restoration
The Garden Club of America (the GCA) offers an annual Fellowship in Ecological Restoration. Established in 2000 with funds from the John B. Young Charitable Trust as well as GCA members and clubs, the fellowship’s goal is to support research that will advance knowledge and increase the number of scientists in the important field of ecological restoration, the active healing of the land. The $8,000 grant is awarded annually to exceptional graduate students to support specialized study in ecological restoration at an accredited U.S. university. Preference will be given to projects that include field research conducted in the United States. A panel of experts associated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum reviews the applications and makes recommendations to the GCA Scholarship Committee.
For the purposes of this scholarship, The Garden Club of America agrees to the definition of ecological restoration as stated by the Society of Ecological Restoration (SER).