Richard Johnson Environmental Education Award
About the Johnson Award
The Johnson Award honors the memory of Richard A. Johnson, a well-known orthopedic surgeon in the Allegany County area. He passed away in 1990 leaving a legacy of a caring and dedicated physician, family man, and naturalist. The Laboratory honors his memory through its promotion of environmental education and the people who excel in its practice.
The endowed fund usually provides a $2,500 annual award to recognize local citizens who directly contribute to environmental education in Allegany County or Garrett County, Maryland. The award, which is meant to aid ongoing environmental education efforts, may be given to individuals or to organizations. The award committee intends for the true beneficiaries to be the students of our community who learn from the activities of the environmental education programs.
2026 Winner:
The Conservation Committee of the Mountain Laurel Garden Club (Garrett County)
The Mountain Laurel Garden Club (MLGC) Conservation Committee is committed to promoting environmentally responsible gardening practices and educating k-12 and undergraduate students and the larger community about the significance of native plants, pollinator protection, and environmental stewardship.
The Committee collaborates actively with organizations and partners in Garrett County, including the University of Maryland Extension, Maryland Native Plant Society, Hickory Environmental Education Center, the Discovery Center at Deep Creek Lake State Park, Sang Run State Park, Maryland Forestry, Yough Glades Elementary School, Friendsville Elementary School, and Garrett College. Since 2012, the Committee has designed and planted many native plant pollinator gardens, meadows, memorial gardens, rain gardens, wetlands, garden restorations, special milkweed gardens, and container gardens. Many of these projects were funded through grants.
As part of the Maryland 5 Million Tree Initiative, members have designed and planted over 200 native shrubs and trees on the campus of Garrett College and over 50 shrubs and trees at Deep Creek Lake State Park. The landscaping at Garrett College is an ongoing large scale planting project funded through grants from Maryland Forestry. The Committee’s work “greening” the Garrett College campus has earned a Tree Campus designation from the Arbor Day Foundation for the past two years, recognizing the difference this work has made for students, staff and faculty and demonstrating Garrett College’s commitment to environmental stewardship, sustainability and community engagement.
In addition to these gardening projects, the Committee has also planned and sponsored various educational symposiums, workshops and activities for club and community members about various ecological and conservation topics, including native plants and their benefits. The committee has also showcased partner projects and highlighted their educational contributions to the community through the MLGC’s garden tour, offering community members the opportunity to learn more about these special places in the community and the education and enrichment they provide.
As these projects demonstrate, Conservation Committee members are dedicated to making a difference with all the community projects in which they participate and seeking to share their knowledge and expertise with all of their partners. Collaboration is very important to them, as they know it is the key to connecting people with nature.
The Committee is chaired by Linda Harris and currently has 19 members including David Broderick, Julie Crolius, Barbara Davis, Bonnie Friend, Liz Gilbert, Lisa Jepsen-Lozano, Patty Jones, Mary Lou Kenney, Jessica Klotz, Greg Koeln, Joan Lyon, Grace McKearin, Kathy McNearney, Donna Miller, Jenny Neville, Rusty O’Neal, Dan Portwood, Suzie Sincell and Nicole Zinn.
