Botanic gardens volunteers to receive governor’s award

Delaware Botanic Gardens volunteers are among the groups to receive 2021 Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Awards.

Recipients were selected for significant contributions, engagement and impact in diverse service activities. 

Ray Sander, Delaware Botanic Gardens president, thanked Gov. John Carney for recognizing the exceptional contribution of the botanic gardens volunteers and especially the tireless work of its garden stewards.

“Public botanical gardens are places of beauty and conservation where the public can enjoy and be educated about the role and importance of horticulture. The Delaware Botanic Gardens is one of the newest public gardens in the United States, and one of the few where volunteers perform the full range of gardening, administrative and management tasks. We are very proud of the thousands of hours that our volunteers have donated. Without their time, energy, and dedication, there would be no beautiful gardens in Sussex County for the community to visit and enjoy,” said Sander.

“This 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award has been won with plain, old-fashioned hard work in all types of weather conditions all year long. It is an honor and a privilege to be a garden steward working alongside these amazing volunteers and friends. Volunteers do this work for a love of the gardens, and it brings them pleasure to share their work with the greater community,” said Carol McCloud, botanic gardens vice president and director of volunteers.

“I congratulate Carol McCloud and all our dedicated garden stewards who are on the front lines daily to ensure that the gardens are in top shape for our community to enjoy. Most recently, the garden stewards planted 84,000 spring bulbs in the 2-acre Piet Oudolf Meadow. These bulbs will be in full bloom when we reopen in March. We thank all who have volunteered, visited and supported the gardens this year,” said Sheryl Swed, executive director.

Located at at 30220 Piney Neck Road, Dagsboro, Delaware Botanic Gardens is closed for the season and will reopen Thursday, March 17.

To learn more, go to delawaregardens.org.