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St. Andrew's-Sewanee School |
Environmental Leader Mary
Priestley
Selected as Recipient of the Harry Yeatman
Environmental Education Award
St. Andrews-Sewanee
School is pleased to announce that Mary Patten
Priestley, one of the areas leading
environmental activist-volunteers and curator of
the Sewanee Herbarium, will receive the 2010
Yeatman Award for Environmental Education.
Priestley will be honored on April 17 during Wine
& Wildflowers, an event held at the Monteagle
Inn.
The Yeatman award is named for
noted environmental educator Dr. Harry Yeatman,
Professor Emeritus of Biology of the University
of the South. According to Dr. Yeatman, "For
years Mary has shared her vast knowledge and love
of plants with people through trips, hikes,
botanical meetings, discussions, publications and
workshops. She has also spearheaded fund raising
events, served on committees, and quietly prodded
us to actions that have saved thousands of acres,
raised valuable dollars, and inspired an entire
generation of native plant lovers." Dr.
George Ramseur, Sewanee emeritus Professor of
Biology and founding Director of the Sewanee
Herbarium, described Mary as "one of my best
botany students" and praised "her
multifaceted career as a gifted naturalist,
writer, artist, and musician who uses her talents
to promote environmental awareness and good
practice in Sewanee and beyond." Jon Evans,
Director of Sewanees Environmental
Institute, noted that Mary "embraced the
volunteer role of Curator for the Sewanee
Herbarium with gusto! She has worked tirelessly
over the years to help transform the Herbarium
into a major center for plant biodiversity
education and outreach on the Cumberland Plateau.
Mary serves as editor of the Sewanee Plant Press;
the Sewanee Herbarium newsletter; organizes hikes
and other activities; works with students;
represents the Herbarium on state committees;
leads workshops; tirelessly collects plants for
the Flora of the Domain project
the list
goes on and on. The central theme in all of this
is her true love of botany. Her enthusiasm is an
inspiration. She gives true meaning to why we are
the Volunteer State!"
Priestley serves as an adjunct
instructor of Environmental Science at
Chattanooga State Technical Community College and
for the Regents Online Degree Program. Her major
volunteer roles, in addition to her work with the
Herbarium, include serving as president of the
Tennessee Native Plant Society (TNPS) since 2007,
as director and president-elect of the Friends of
South Cumberland State Recreation Area, as a
charter member of the Dead Plants Society, and
hike leader for the TNPS and for the Gatlinburg
Wildflower Pilgrimage. She cochaired the Friends
of SCSRA "Saving Great Spaces" campaign
which raised $600,000 for acquisition of land
surrounding Savage Gulf and Fiery Gizzard and led
to two $2 million dollar grants from the State of
Tennessee and the federal government, bringing
the total raised to $4.6 million. An accomplished
author and illustrator, she served as technical
editor for TNPSs official field guide: Wildflowers
of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley, and the Southern
Appalachians. She produced the Wildflowers
of Sewanee poster, and co-authored Go Take
a Hike: a Guide to Hiking on the Domain of the
University of the South. She is the
accordionist and leader of Bazzania, "the
Official All-Girls Band of the Friends of South
Cumberland State Recreation Area" and has
served on the steering committee of Trails &
Trilliums since its inception. Priestley
graduated with a B.S. in Forestry from The
University of the South and received an M.S. in
Biology at Middle Tennessee State University. She
and husband William (Mac) Priestley are parents
of William, Thomas, and Patten, all graduates of
SAS.
Trails & Trilliums Service
Award Goes to
South Cumberland State Recreation Area
The recipient of this years
Trails & Trilliums Service Award is South
Cumberland State Recreation Area, recognizing the
work of the SCSRA staff in educating, protecting
and providing access to the vast scenic areas of
the park. Park Manager John Christof, the four
Park Rangers and members of the staff of the
SCSRA will be honored on April 17 during Wine
& Wildflowers, an event held at the Monteagle
Inn.
The South Cumberland State
Recreation Area, which totals 21,649 acres, is
responsible for ten separate areas in four
counties: Franklin, Marion, Grundy, and
Sequatchie. These areas include Buggy Top Cave,
Sewanee Natural Bridge, Fiery Gizzard, Foster
Falls, Savage Gulf, Stone Door, Greeter Falls,
Meadow Trail and Grundy Lakes. Last year the
SCSRA had 792,441 visitors with 5,109 people
attending special programs.
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