Conservation & Ecological RestorationMathew Reid
2015 The Garden Club of America Fellowship in Ecological Restoration
Mathew Reid is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisville. His project is entitled, “Do altered soil communities inhibit restoration following invasive species management in primary successional sand dune systems?” His research focuses on the impacts of exotic plant invasion and subsequent management on soil communities, primarily nematodes (worms) and mycorrhizal fungi, adding to the understanding of how altered soil communities could impact restoration efforts in Great Lakes sand dunes.
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).