October 7, 2005 – Shirley Luna

Texas Forest Service recognizes KNB, SFA and children's program

A program sponsored by Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful and Stephen F. Austin State University has been recognized with an award honoring groups who promote stronger communities by planting and nurturing trees or leading others to perform that service. The award for the annual Bugs, Butterflies and Blossoms children's festival was part of the statewide Texas Community Forestry Awards Program.

The Bugs, Butterflies and Blossoms children festival is an annual environmental education outreach for children in kindergarten through third grade held each April at SFA. According to Kent Hutchison, executive director of Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful, the award is a result of the hard work of Dr. Cheryl Boyette, former KNB director; Dr. Alan Sowards, associate professor of education at SFA, Elyce Rodewald, educational programmer for the SFA Mast Arboretum, and festival volunteers.

"It is an honor for Nacogdoches to receive this prestigious award," Hutchison said. "Dr. Sowards and Ms. Rodewald work all year with student and community volunteers to develop and promote this children's program. I am proud of KNB's partnership with SFA to promote forestry and environmental education to more than 2,600 students annually."

The Texas Community Forestry Awards Program is sponsored by the Texas Forest Service, the Texas Urban Forestry Council and the Texas Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. This year, several individuals and organizations were recognized for their work developing and preserving the state's community forests.

"Each award reflects exemplary efforts to protect and enhance the urban forest through creativity, leadership, individual dedication or innovative partnerships," said James Hull, director of the Texas Forest Service.

KNB and SFA were recognized in the civic organization division. Other winners included: Fort Davis National Park, Arboricultural Project Award; City of Fort Worth, Government Project; Randolph Air Force Base - San Antonio, Government Project; Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council - Fort Worth, Public Awareness Project; and Castleberry High School - Fort Worth, Student Project.

Winners were announced at an awards ceremony during the annual Texas Tree Conference in Waco. Each award winner received a framed, limited-edition print of a painting, titled "The Runaway Scrape Oak," by Texas artist Ronnie Wells of Salado. The painting, commissioned by the Texas Forest Service, depicts the site where General Sam Houston and a force of less than 400 Texans camped on the first night of their historic retreat from Gonzalez, a retreat often referred to as the "Runaway Scrape."