Steve Young and Laura Lehtonen receive GCA awards for serving as experts on the Essex Quarry Project.

In June 2025, Steve Young (NY Natural Heritage Program in Albany) and his wife Laura Lehtonen received awards from the Garden Club of America for serving as botanical experts on our club's Essex Quarry Project. Steve received the highly prestigious "Zone Conservation Commendation" for innumerable contributions to New York botany over four decades, fostering and creating collaborations to protect rare plants, manage invasive species, and restore threatened ecosystems. Laura received a "Club Conservation Commendation"  for providing exceptional, state-of-the-art education about propagating native plants for the Essex Quarry Nature Preserve and championing the restoration and conservation of "wild" areas. The Adirondack Garden Club nominated Steve and Laura for these awards and we were thrilled that our nominations were successful. Steve and Laura have helped with every aspect of the design of the Essex Quarry project, and we are greatly indebted to them.

Above: Steve Young, and Joy Flynn, Co-Chair of GCA Zone III

Above: Nancy Budd (AGC President), Laura Lehtonen, Steve Young, and Joy Flynn, Co-Chair of GCA Zone III