GCNH Community Awards
The Garden Club of New Haven provides two monetary awards annually to honor organization(s) and individual(s) who demonstrate excellence in their program or project.
The Florence Bradley Award
This award was established in 2012 by the Board of Directors, and is named for the first President of the Garden Club of New Haven. It is given annually at a General Meeting to a Greater New Haven group, organization, or individual whose work best reflects the mission of our Garden Club: “to create interest in and promote knowledge of gardening, preservation of natural resources and civic horticultural work.” Recommendations for recipients are made to the committee; the full membership then votes on the final selection.
2023 Recipient:
New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing
The New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing Dedicated to Victims of Gun Violence (URI Fiduciary) is the result of years of work by a group of mothers whose children were victims of gun violence. Led by Marlene Miller Pratt, in partnership with the City of New Haven and URI, the garden is a space filled with flowers, and a place to remember those lost to cycles of violence. A brick path “segmented by year, starting in 1976, catalogs the names and ages of those killed.” Volunteers from local colleges, churches, high schools, and the community are enlisted to maintain the garden during weekly work sessions.
NH Botanical Garden of Healing
PHOTO CREDIT: SVIGALS + PARTNERS
Past winners were:
2022: Mill River Watershed Association
2021: Hunneebee Project
2020: Friends of Edgewood Park
2019: G.R.O.W.E.R.S.
2018: New Haven Land Trust
2017: The Children’s Center of Hamden
2016: Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
2015: Solar Youth
2014: Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA)
2013: CITYSEED
The Bartels Award
In 2013, Nancy and Henry Bartels established an endowment fund to enable the GCNH to award a grant to a community organization that is focused on education and/or civic engagement in the area of community gardens. Nancy Bartels was a member of the club from 1983 until her death in 2020. The endowment is administered by the Community Foundation, and allows the GCNH to strengthen its ties with the community. This monetary award may be given annually to an organization in the Greater New Haven area or may be used to support activities within the Club that focus on areas of education and civic engagement.
2022 Recipient:
Connecticut Beekeepers Association
Partnering with beekeepers of Connecticut the association works to increase public awareness of the importance of honey bees, fosters industry relationships and works with members to educate and advance their scientific knowledge of beekeeping.
Past winners were:
2019: Garden Club of New Haven Intern Scholarship Program
2018: Garden Club of New Haven Intern Scholarship Program
2017: LEAP Children’s Garden
2016: no award given
2015: New Haven Farms
2014: Common Ground; 2 Workshops on “Trees & Power Lines”