Each year, Trees SC recognizes community groups, municipalities, individuals and non-profits for their outstanding contributions to urban and community forestry in our state. Through our awards program, nominations are accepted and reviewed by a panel of judges. We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Golden Acorn Awards:
Distinguished Professional Service Award-Robert McCartney
Robert McCartney is a naturalist and ecologist with backgrounds in wildlife, botany and taxonomy, and earned his Masters in wildlife management from LSU. In 1981, Robert moved to Aiken where he has spent the past 30 years adding a variety of genera to the city’s tree collection, including more than 150 species of oaks. The “Aiken Arboretum Project” likely has the best collection of rare and unusual trees in the South. Over the years, Robert has volunteered his time and materials to numerous organizations, including the City of Aiken Parks Commission, Georgia Southern Botanical Garden and the Hitchcock Woods Foundation. Robert is a long-time member of Trees SC and served on its Board of Directors in the 1990’s.
Distinguished Volunteer Service Award-Mayo Read
In Charleston, Mayo Read is known as “The Man Who Plants Trees.” Nearly 25 years ago, Mayo led an initiative to raise $156,000 in private and corporate donations to plant 340 Live oak trees along a 3-mile stretch of East Bay Street, one of Charleston’s busiest thoroughfares. This project led to the formation of Charleston Trees, a non-profit organization dedicated to urban forestry education and awareness, with the primary purpose of raising money for the planting of trees on public property in Charleston. Under the leadership of Mayo, the organization raised over $200,000 and has planted hundreds of trees in neighborhoods throughout the city.
Outstanding Community Forestry Program- Hitchcock Woods Foundation
The Hitchcock Woods Foundation is a non-profit organization located in Aiken that was established in 1939 with the donation of 1,200 acres from the Hitchcock family. The mission of the Foundation is to protect and preserve the Woods in a natural and ecologically healthy state; maintain and manage historic and traditional equestrian and pedestrian uses; and foster education and research on the history and resources of the land. From the beginning, the Hitchcock Woods Foundation has been a labor of love. Preserving the Woods, located in the center of Aiken, requires the support and commitment of the entire community. Working with 1,200 volunteers annually, the Foundation maintains the 70 miles of trails traversing more than 2,100 acres of land. Without the efforts of the Foundation, one of the largest urban forests in the nation would have been lost to mining, timbering and residential development.
