Conservation & Ecological RestorationSam Ahler
2026 The Garden Club of America Fellowship in Ecological Restoration
It’s a grass’s world, but does it have to be? Testing contingencies in the heterogeneity diversity hypothesis
This project investigates how abiotic heterogeneity influences plant diversity in grassland restoration, particularly for species that arrive after initial establishment. Using a large field experiment in a semi-arid grassland, it tests whether microsite variation promotes forb emergence and whether this effect is modified by biotic filters such as resident grass traits and aboveground biomass. The study specifically evaluates how competitive grass communities and simulated grazing alter the benefits of environmental heterogeneity for later-arriving species. Ultimately, the work aims to refine restoration strategies by identifying when and how heterogeneity, species composition, and disturbance interact to support diverse, forb-rich grasslands.
School: University of Colorado Boulder
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).
Discover more
Caroline Lavoie
The Garden Club of America Rome Prize Fellowship in Landscape Architecture
Drawing the Invisible Waters: Rome, Memory, and the Embodied City, will trace Rome’s hidden...
Adele Woodmansee
The Loy McCandless Marks Scholarship (an International Scholarship in Tropical Horticulture or Landscape Architecture)
Leveraging barley landrace diversity for adaptation in the High Atlas MountainsI have initiated...
Nicolina Lentine
The Caroline Thorn Kissel Summer Environmental Studies Scholarship
How does artificial salinization impact soil pH?For my experiment, I will examine how adding NaCl...
Chase Wunder
The Caroline Thorn Kissel Summer Environmental Studies Scholarship
Assessing the Movement Ecology of Sheepshead in Response to Their Re-emergence in the Northern...
Sophia Richter
The Garden Club of America Fellowship in Tropical Botany
Effects of large herbivore extinction on Euphorbia in African savannasGlobal declines in large...
Liam Abbey
The Katharine M. Grosscup Scholarships in Horticulture
Drought and its Effects on Oryza sativa 'Kitaake' Expressing CspBDrought experiments are...
Taleigh Adrian
The Garden Club of America Board of Associates Centennial Pollinator Fellowship
Influence of Woody Encroachment on Grassland Butterfly Populations, Including Threatened Dakota...
Daniel Agis
The Joan K. Hunt and Rachel M. Hunt Summer Scholarship in Field Botany
Florida Plant Rescue: Conservation of Matelea floridana, Sideroxylon alachuense, and Verbesina...
Mary Badger
The Frances M. Peacock Scholarship for Native Bird Habitat
American Kestrels in Agroecosystems: Effects of Extreme Heat and Land Use on Movement and...
Kelly Baggatts
The Garden Club of America Zone VI Fellowship in Urban Forestry
THE CASEY TREES-BARBARA SHEA AWARD IN URBAN FORESTRY “Evaluating Urban Food Forestry as...
Andrew Balder
The Garden Club of America Award in Coastal Wetlands Studies
Profiling Coastal Atlantic White Cedar Swamps Along the Northern Gulf CoastThis project will...
Jacob Baldner
The Zeller Summer Scholarship in Medicinal Botany
Conservation Research of Species of Concern in the Darhad Valley of MongoliaThis summer, I will...
Annabelle Ball
The Keller Scholarship in Conservation Horticulture
St. Mary’s University Pocket Prairie ProjectThe Pocket Prairie Project is an 100% volunteer-run...
Tabitha Bartrum
The Katharine M. Grosscup Scholarships in Horticulture
Tuition for Undergraduate Degree at Michigan State UniversityTabitha Bartrum is a first year...
Samuel Bosio
The Garden Club of America Fellowship in Tropical Botany
Local Impacts of Rats on Native Plant Regeneration in HawaiʻiHawaiʻi has disproportionately more...
Nathanael Brunken
The Keller Scholarship in Conservation Horticulture
Illuminating the Green Spectrum: Effects of Light Quality on Lettuce Growth and...