Each year, DUG recognizes Garden Leaders who have gone above-and-beyond as volunteers, stewards, organizers, and leaders in their community. We’re excited to share more about 2020’s outstanding Garden Leaders in the words of their community members themselves!
Bruce Loftis, Gables Community Garden
Bruce is always (always!) willing to help anyone and everyone with anything and everything that comes up. He’ll help other gardeners prepare their plots, water when they’re on vacations, harvest, and clean up at the end of the season. He’ll help with any projects that are happening with the students in the garden– and this year when we can’t do things in person with the students, he is always there to help plant, tend, and care for the school plots when students can’t be there with us. Bruce is always the first to volunteer when a task needs to be done, whether watering new trees or perennials, contacting gardeners, or sharing knowledge with other schools or groups interested in starting gardens of their own. He is open to new ideas, he manages conflict well, he persists through difficult situations, and he cares about other people. Best of all, Bruce always has a smile on his face and a pleasant greeting for everyone he meets. We are so lucky to have Bruce as our Garden Leader and fellow gardener.
Michael Lyster, Academia Sandoval Community Garden
Michael is a great leader who keeps us updated on DUG events and helps gather materials and resources for the garden. He is a good gardener willing to share his ideas and experience.
His gardeners say:
- I love that he calls us all “farmers.”
- I love that his/our response to the El Oasis sale was to make more space in our garden.
- I love the eclectic and fun conversations we all have remotely now / in person before about gardening and its relation to all things important.
Elaine Davis, Fletcher Community Garden
Elaine is a Master Community Gardener who jumped into leading the Fletcher garden after the last leader left. She leads equitably and inclusively and has made a point of honoring the garden’s history and traditions.
Pallas Quist, Samuels Community Garden and DCIS Baker Community Garden:
Pallas has been a Garden Leader at Samuels since it was established in 2012. This year when her children started school at DCIS Baker, Pallas noticed the garden was underused and has spent the last few months giving the garden a facelift and getting it ready for students to plant in the spring!
Stephanie Sisnroy, Little Sprouts Community Garden:
We would like to give a shout out to Stephanie from the Little Elementary DUG. We have known Stephanie and her family for several years now. She is super organized and lets people contribute however they can. She has gotten people to share their expertise and has made the students at the school the main focus of learning. We have had several fall farmers markets and she has involved many community organizations to purchase plants and supplies from. Now with covid…we have had to adhere to some rules to continue to make the garden as Stephanie would say…our happy place. Her contributions have been endless and it is greatly appreciated. We appreciate being a part of this garden.
Lyric McKnight, KCAA Community Garden:
Lyric has been a part of the KCAA garden leadership since it was established in 2015. She is a DUG Master Community Gardener who shares her commitment to healthy living with her gardeners. This year when more people were facing food insecurity, Lyric responded by helping plant all the available garden plots for donation.
