Dr. Oktay Honored
At its annual meeting held on June 15 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Zone l Garden Club of America (GCA) bestowed its 2010 Zone l GCA Conservation Commendation upon Dr. Sarah Oktay, managing director of the University of Massachusetts Boston Nantucket Field Station.
The annual commendation is awarded to a citizen or group of citizens who are not members of a GCA club, but who have made a significant contribution to conservation within the Zone. In recognizing Dr. Oktay, the awards committee cited “all Sarah has done using her talents, expertise and community involvement in helping keep our fragile island safe.”
Among the accomplishments that qualified Dr. Oktay for the award was her work with the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative, which she chairs and also serves as chair of the website committee, co-chair of the grant committee and member of the invasive species committee; the Nantucket Family Adventures committee; the Nantucket Conservation Commission; and her volunteer work with the Nantucket Clean Team, One Book One Island and the Nantucket Civic League.
Accompanying Dr. Oktay for the recent meeting and award presentation were representatives from the Nantucket Garden Club: president Paulette Boling, treasurer Barbara Medaugh, Joan Barnes, and Zone l awards representative Marie Sussek.
“Nantucket Garden Club is extremely proud that the Garden Club of America Conservation Committee has recognized Sarah, a member of our community, for her outstanding contributions in both her professional work and her volunteer activities in helping to conserve and preserve our precious island,” said Sussek.
The Zone l GCA is comprised of 19 clubs in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire, including the Nantucket Garden Club. According to the Zone l GCA, all of the clubs have strong traditions of horticulture, conservation and civic work and are deeply rooted in their communities.
