CARLTON WARD Jr. AWARDED HONORARY MEMBERSHIP IN THE GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., January 13, 2022 – Carlton Ward Jr., National Geographic Explorer, award-winning photographer, and founder of the Path of the Panther initiative and the Florida Wilder Corridor Coalition, is one of seven distinguished persons who have been awarded an honorary membership by the Garden Club of America for 2022. Ward is the 6th Floridian to be extended this rare honor in the 105 years since the Garden Club of America began awarding honorary memberships.
State, national, and international conservation and environmental advocates rallied to Ward’s nomination, including the National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy of Florida, the International League of Conservation Photographers, and White Oak Conservation.
Alex Moen, chief explorer engagement officer at the National Geographic Society, credited Ward’s advocacy in last spring’s remarkable, unanimous passing of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act. “The law secures conservation for the iconic Florida panther and for wildlife writ large, creating the framework for a lasting conservation legacy,” he said.
Temperince Morgan, executive director of The Nature Conservancy of Florida, also stated, “Carlton played a pivotal role in helping bring back from the brink a nearly extinct species in the Eastern United States.”
The GCA noted, “An eighth-generation Floridian descended from a pioneer ranching family, Mr. Ward’s work on PBS and in National Geographic, Smithsonian and Nature Conservancy magazines helped galvanize the state’s farmers, ranchers, environmental groups and coastal communities to become part of an environmental solution, connecting nearly 8 million acres to protect biodiversity and wildlife corridors in Florida’s heartland.”
Susan Smathers, president of Late Bloomers Garden Club in Jacksonville, which nominated Ward for the honorary membership, said “Carlton Ward is Florida’s 21st century successor to Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, the great champion of the Everglades. What Douglas achieved with her pen, Ward has achieved with his camera. The millions of acres in Florida’s heartland which are protected by the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, will be critical to Florida’s environment and wildlife for centuries to come.”
About Garden Club of America: Founded in 1913, the GCA is a nonprofit national organization recognized for its leadership in horticulture, conservation, creative arts, historic preservation, and environmental protection. Its mission is to bring its 200 member clubs together to cultivate a bond among people, plants, and the environment. The GCA member clubs consist of almost 18,000 club members who devote energy and expertise to projects in their communities and across the United States.
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About Late Bloomers Garden Club:
Late Bloomers Garden Club, founded in 1990, is a member of The Garden Club of America, and Garden Club of Jacksonville and contributes to the community through its civic projects and grants.
Press release and news regarding this award:
2022 0113: Carlton Ward, Jr., Awarded Honorary Membership in the GCA Press Release (pdf)
2022 0113: Carlton Ward, Jr., Awarded Honorary Membership in the GCA Press Release (word doc)
2022 0113 GCA: 2022 GCA Honorary Members Announced
2022 0113 WEDU Special: Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor
2022 0114 Tampa Bay Times: An honor for Florida Wildlife Corridor proponent Carlton Ward Jr. | Letters (by Susan Smathers, President, Late Bloomers Garden Club, Jacksonville, FL)
2022 0118 Tallahassee Democrat, Letters to the Editor: Conservationists owe Carlton Ward Jr. a big debt of gratitude (page 4A)
2022 0118 Axios Tampa Bay: Florida photographer honored by Garden Clubs of America
2022 0123 jacksonville.com|The Florida Times-Union: Letters: Florida wildlife photographer and conservationist owed a debt of gratitude
2022 0123 The Gainesville Sun|Gainesville.com: Rare honor
2022 0125 WJCT’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross: Dr. Ladapo’s confirmation; Florida’s Wildlife Corridor; Spaceport; ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ (Guest: Carlton Ward Jr., photographer)
2022 0201 Resident Community News Group (ROAM February 2022): Carlton Ward Jr., awarded honorary membership in GCA (page 18)
2022 0201 Resident Community News Group (San Marco February 2022): Carlton Ward Jr., awarded honorary membership in GCA (page 16)