The 2025 PlantNebraska Awards
PlantNebraska honored 10 individuals and organizations with awards at its annual reception on November 7 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Lincoln. The following recipients were honored:
President’s Citation: Robert Gittins, Omaha
The President’s Citation is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the mission of PlantNebraska.
The President’s Citation was awarded to Robert (Bob) Gittins, of Omaha, founder and board president of the non-profit organization Nebraska Monarchs.
For the last ten years, Robert (Bob) Gittins, founder and board president of the non-profit organization Nebraska Monarchs, has spearheaded a movement to make native pollinator habitats more accessible and appealing to the public through native plant giveaways, free seed programs and habitat restoration efforts. During his time at Nebraska Monarchs, the organization has distributed more than 30,000 free native perennial plants, as well as millions of milkweed seeds to be used in habitat restoration for pollinators, particularly monarch butterflies.
Ron Yoder Service Award: Wanda Kelly, Pender
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 PlantNebraska.
This year’s Ron Yoder Service Award was presented to Wanda Kelly, of Pender, a former PlantNebraska board president who was instrumental in stepping up the organization’s fundraising efforts during her tenure. Kelly has also served as a passionate environmentalist and tree planter in her community, leading the effort to plant trees, create sustainable landscapes and organize educational activities and tours.
Affiliate Excellence Award: Schramm Park State Recreation Area and Outdoor Specialist Jennifer Ruyle, Gretna
The Affiliate Excellence Award recognizes excellence in plant collection diversity, maintenance practices and community engagement.
This year’s Affiliate Excellence award was presented to Outdoor Specialist Jennifer Ruyle and Schramm Education Center at Schramm Park State Recreation Center in Gretna.
Recently Schramm Park has embarked on a critically important forest restoration project through the Natural Legacy Project. Ruyle has been an important part of this project, teaching a legion of volunteers how to gather, germinate and plant native oak species and help with forest upkeep. She’s also focused on educating the public about the entire process of restoration through social media and park signage that highlights native plant, pollinator and wildlife species of the local area.
Johnny Appleseed Award: Jerry Hardin, Gordon
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 Jerry Hardin, of Gordon. As a member of the Gordon Tree Board and as the Northwest Nebraska representative on the Nebraska Community Forestry Council, Hardin is a “tree de force” in Gordon and beyond. After earning his arborist certification, Jerry became qualified to conduct tree risk assessments, which has been a tremendous benefit for his community. He’s put his hard-earned skills to work, assessing trees for Gordon’s first community forestry grant and playing a critical role in collecting data for the city’s first complete tree inventory.
Jim Kluck Honor Award, Bryan Kinghorn, Omaha
In memory of Jim Kluck, who was a longtime PlantNebraska supporter, board member and curator, this award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to PlantNebraska or to an affiliate site of PlantNebraska.
The Jim Kluck Honor Award was presented to Bryan Kinghorn, founder and president of Kinghorn Gardens in Omaha. For the past 40 years, Kinghorn was focused on building a company focused on creating ecologically minded and sound horticultural gardens that reflect the beauty of Nebraska. From properties like the Assurity gardens in Lincoln, to his own backyard bioswale, Kinghorn has championed a variety of garden styles that showcase Nebraska at its best.
Educator Award: Kendra Sullivan, Ralson
Kendra Sullivan, who teaches at St. Gerald Catholic School in Ralston, was recognized with the Educator Award for her 20-year commitment of integrating the natural world into her classroom. In 2005, Sullivan spearheaded the creation of a large courtyard garden at St. Gerald, which has served countless students as a place of exploration, a living laboratory and a quiet oasis. Sullivan’s personal mission is to encourage her students’ investment in the natural world so that they will be committed to nurturing and protecting it as adults.
Blazing Star Award: Stacey Coury, Omaha
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.
The Blazing Star Award was presented to Stacey Coury, who recently led the transformation of two large medians totaling about 7,000 square feet in her Stonegate Omaha neighborhood. What were once overgrown, neglected weed patches are now vibrant, flourishing gardens featuring native and well-adapted plants, including five types of milkweed and numerous seasonal blooms and native grasses. Courey also volunteers hundreds of hours each year with Nebraska Monarchs, where she co-chairs the organization’s two main annual events which result in nearly 7,000 native plants distributed to beautify and benefit local communities.
Volunteer Award: Steven Rodie, Omaha
PlantNebraska’s Volunteer Award recognizes an individual who has made a sustained volunteer contribution to an affiliate site.
The Volunteer Award was presented to Steven Rodie, of Omaha, who was instrumental in the planning, design, installation and ongoing maintenance of the Westview High School Arboretum in Bennington. Rodie brought a unique educational lens to this work, channeling his passion for outdoor education into mentoring Westview students and assisting them in the creation and development of an audio tour and website for the arboretum.
Community Landscape Awards: Annette Langan of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Omaha and the Scotts Bluff County 4-H Club
The Community Landscape Award recognizes an individual or individuals annually who have significantly improved the green infrastructure in a Nebraska community.
Five years ago when Annette Langan heard that her church, St. Leo the Great in Omaha, was interested in expanding their prayer garden, she knew it was something she wanted to be involved with. Today, St. Leo’s pollinator garden not only displays thousands of blooms in nearly every color of the rainbow, it has also become a treasured sanctuary for church members and visitors alike. Langan and her team of volunteers planted 270 perennials, connected the new perennial garden with a preexisting garden with a new path, added 24 trees, updated signage and installed seating areas and a pergola.
Over the last year, a group of nine Scotts Bluff County 4-H members researched, planned, prepared and planted a prairie meadow that will attract butterflies and other beneficial pollinators to the Scotts Bluff County Courthouse Garden. Guided by master gardener and Scottsbluff resident Laurie Zitterkopf, the 4-H students spent dozens of hours meticulously researching various species of native butterflies and moths and the plants that attract and sustain them. This past spring, the students prepared and planted the beds and celebrated with a ribbon cutting to commemorate the opening of the garden in June.
