The 2024 NSA Awards
The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Awards are presented to individuals, organizations and communities each year to acknowledge and honor their work in the areas of tree planting, sustainable landscaping and environmental education. This tradition began in 1980; since then we have recognized more than 250 people and organizations in eight award categories.
The 2024 awards reception will be held on Friday, November 8 from 2-4 p.m. at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln.
Awards in the following categories will be presented:
President's Citation: Richard Gilbert, Halsey
This award recognizes outstanding contributions toward NSA's mission. The award is nominated by and given at the discretion of the president of the NSA Board.
In his role as manager of the Charles E. Bessey Nursery in Halsey, Gilbert oversees the production of 2.7 million container and bareroot seedlings each year, which are used in reforestation, restoration and conservation plantings in Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Kansas. Gilbert also manages the nursery’s seed bank, which houses 14,000 pounds of seed that serves as a critical storehouse in case of a catastrophic event such as wildfire or insect infestation. Prior to his 19 years at Bessey Nursery, Gilbert owned his own landscaping business and was employed at Bluebird Nursery.
Affiliate Excellence Award: Franklin-Cotterell Greens Arboretum and Curator Bob Feurer
This award recognizes excellence in plant collection diversity, maintenance practices nd community engagement.
This year’s Affiliate Excellence award recognizes Bob Feurer and the Franklin-Cotterell Greens Arboretum at North Bend Central High School. A longtime science teacher, Feurer initiated the arboretum on the school’s grounds to enrich his students’ science experiences through tree planting and tree care. Today the arboretum includes more than 1,000 plants and trees, as well as a wheelchair accessible paved path around the 22-acre site.
Johnny Appleseed Award: Steve Brey, Raymond
The Johnny Appleseed Award recognizes an individual or individuals who embody the generous spirit of Johnny Appleseed through a sustained personal involvement in tree-planting in Nebraska.
This year’s recipient of the Johnny Appleseed Award is Steve Brey, of Raymond. Brey recently retired from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission after a 30-year career, during which he helped to grow and plant thousands of trees that were subsequently planted across Nebraska in various state parks and wildlife management area locations. Many of these trees came from the Nebraska Game and Parks Branched Oak Nursery that Brey helped support and care for over many seasons. It was through Brey’s commitment to growing trees and to peer-to-peer education that Nebraskans are able to enjoy such a diversity of species and so many quality trees in our state parks and recreation areas.
Jim Kluck Honor Award: Heather & Brian Byers, Weston
The Jim Kluck Honor Award is presented to Heather and Brian Byers, owners of Great Plains Nursery near Weston. The Byers are leaders in developing nursery production methods favoring root quality, including the use of grow bags that help prevent circling roots and stem-girdling root. Great Plains Nursery is also the only Nebraska nursery that is focused on native and locally collected seeds for production of trees and shrubs, which has greatly improved availability of native and hardy-proven plants in the state.
In memory of Jim Kluck, who was a longtime NSA supporter, board member and curator, this award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to NSA or to an affiliate site of NSA.
The Ron Yoder Service Award: Bill Pospichal, Elkhorn
This year’s Ron Yoder Service Award is presented to Bill Pospichal, of Elkhorn, a former NSA board member who was instrumental in re-establishing the executive director role for the organization and re-envisioning the annual Spring Affair plant sale into the successful fundraising event it is today. Bill and his wife, Jennifer, continue to be passionate supporters of NSA.
The Ron Yoder Service Award was established in 2023 to honor Dr. Ron Yoder, former senior associate vice chancellor for UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) and a longtime supporter of NSA.
Educator Award: Terri James and Tom Wheeldon, of Lincoln
The Educator Award recognizes educators who have made an outstanding contribution toward advancing the knowledge and appreciation of plants among their students. This year NSA recognizes Terri James and Tom Wheeldon, both of Lincoln, with the Educator Award.
James is an associate extension educator with Nebraska Extension in UNL’s Department of Agronomy and Horticulture; state coordinator for the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program; co-supervisor of the Backyard Farmer garden on UNL’s East Campus; co-advisor for the UNL Horticulture Club and coordinator of the Extension Master Gardener’s contribution to the Growing Together Nebraska program. She is also passionate about increasing food security and promoting access to healthy food. In collaboration with the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Campus program, James and her team raise, harvest and donate nearly 1,000 pounds of produce annually to local food banks.
Wheeldon taught agriculture education and ag bioscience at Schuyler Central High School and was the FFA Advisor there for 34 years before transitioning to The Career Academy, where he was the FFA advisor and taught ag bioscience for Southeast Community College for nine years. Under his leadership, Career Academy FFA students collaborated with experts from Southeast Community College, UNL, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and the local business community to install a number of pollinator gardens and edible and waterwise landscapes around Lincoln. The students also presented their research and work at multiple state and national FFA competitions.
Blazing Star Award: Cathy Prettyman, Blair
The Blazing Star Award recognizes an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution toward advancing the horticultural use of native plants or the restoration of native plant communities in Nebraska.
Ths year's Blazing Star Award is presented to Cathy Prettyman, of Blair, who was instrumental in the implementation of four native plant gardens in Blair: the Black Elk Neihardt Park Pollinator Garden, the Main Street revitalization project, a pollinator garden at Ft. Atkinson and a Master Gardener planting project at the Blair Library. In addition to designing and installing gardens, Prettyman has been a passionate advocate and educator, leading guided native plant tours, volunteering and presenting at events and workshops, engaging in citizen science for monarch tagging and bird and butterfly counts and sharing her knowledge with friends, neighbors and anyone else who is interested in native plants.
Volunteer Award: Ken Franzen, Hastings
The Volunteer Award recognizes an individual who has made a sustained volunteer contribution to an affiliate site of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. This year's Volunteer Award is presented to Ken Franzen, who volunteers at Prairie Loft in Hastings. Franzen is one of the original "founders" of Prairie Loft in 2000. After a brief stint in California, he found himself back in Hastings, where he picked up his dedicated work once again. At 78 years young, he can often be found around the property, diligently watering and pruning trees. Over the past 12 years, Franzen has planted more than 100 trees on site, been involved in invasive species and dead tree removal projects and helped to develop the organization’s five-year tree plan.
Community Landscape Award : Bruce Hoffman, McCook and Gretna Arbor Society
The Community Landscape Award recognizes an individual or individuals annually who have significantly improved the green infrastructure in a Nebraska community. This year, the recipients of the Community Landscape Award are Bruce Hoffman, of McCook, and the Gretna Arbor Society.
Hoffman is a certified arborist and nurseryman who has been helping to beautify his hometown of Genoa for many years through his tree planting and landscaping efforts. He has planted dozens of trees at Genoa, Friends and Sunnyside Cemeteries; guided the tree planting and landscaping improvements around the athletic fields of the local high school; and organized a memorial tree planting with the Genoa U.S. Indian School Foundation. He's also spent many hours volunteering for and organizing Saluting Branches, a non-profit organization that provides landscaping and tree care services to veterans’ cemeteries.
The Gretna Arbor Society, formerly known as the Gretna Tree Board, was formed in 1988. Under the organization’s leadership, Gretna has been designated a Tree City USA for 37 years and has received the Arbor Day Foundation’s Growth Award for 27 years. Gretna Arbor Society has overseen the planting of thousands of trees in the Gretna area, organized dozens of workshops and events and sponsored several board members to attend arborists school on scholarship to attain their Nebraska Arborist Certification.
