The Marsh Awards are awarded annually by the Marsh Christian Trust, in partnership with BGCI, in recognition of excellence in International Plant Conservation and Botanic Garden Education. The awards for 2017 were announced at the 6th Global Botanic Gardens Congress in Geneva, Switzerland on June 30th.

The Marsh Award 2017 for contributions to Botanic Gardens Education was awarded to Amy Padolf

Amy is the Director of Education at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, FL where she oversees national and international multidisciplinary environmental science education programs for pre-kindergarten through post graduate studies as well as teacher professional development, adult education and community gardening. She holds a BA in Rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh and a MS in Science Education from Duquesne University.

The Marsh Award for International Plant Conservation was awarded to Kunle (Olukunle) Olasupo

Kunle (Olukunle) Olasupo is a Field Supervisor at the Forest Unit at the headquarters of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria. Kunle obtained a National Diploma in Forestry at the Federal College of Forestry (FCF), Ibadan, in 2003, a Higher National Diploma in Agronomy at the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA) in 2006 and, during his employment, a Postgraduate Diploma in Forestry and Wood Technology, also at FECA, in 2012.

Kunle’s interest and expertise in collecting fruits and extracting and sowing seeds is outstanding, as evidenced by the Forest Unit’s successful propagation of 137 indigenous tree species of which 28 are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List, including the critically endangered endemic Cola nigerica. His skills and commitment have been crucial in the development of Nigeria’s first arboretum for ex situ conservation of threatened trees, and in guidance and capacity building for staff, conservation partners, teachers, students and postgraduates. Kunle never misses an opportunity to explain the importance of trees to visitors. Whatever someone has in mind when visiting the nursery or enquiring about trees, they are always persuaded to plant Nigeria’s trees for Nigerian people!