Nominee: Dan Miller – FNPS Green Palmetto Service Award
Nominated by members of the Magnolia Chapter
The Magnolia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society is pleased and honored to nominate Dan Miller for the Green Palmetto Service Award. Dan’s commitment to native plants is broad, covering many different aspects of service. He has served on the Magnolia Chapter Board for over six years. He brings native plants that he has propagated to Chapter meetings and to many different festivals and events in the area. He has helped countless individuals learn about growing native plants in their gardens. He contributes extensively to the annual Birdsong Nature Center plant sale. He has made numerous presentations for Chapter programs, and programs requested by gardening and nature groups throughout the region.
One of Dan's most demanding achievements has been providing the leadership and hundreds of volunteer hours to the restoration of the native plant garden at MacClay Gardens state park. He is unfailingly generous with his time, and unfailingly kind and patient with his assistance and support.
Dan’s service commitment extends far beyond our local area; he has been a strong advocate for regional conservation. By training and trade, Dan Miller is a quiet chemist. But a small yellow flower (actually millions of small yellow flowers gathered together) turned him into a tireless and fearless crusader. Under his leadership, with solid support from key people like Gil Nelson and Wilson Baker, along with many other supporters, Dan spent three years of continuous hard work that resulted in saving a precious piece of land to be the home of countless trout lilies in perpetuity.
In 2006, Dan and Wilson discovered a treasure, a threatened treasure, and were inspired to ensure its safety. On a 140 acre tract in South Georgia, land scheduled to be sold for residential dwellings, they were awed to find the largest population of trout lilies (Erythronium umbilicatum) they had ever seen or heard of. Thus began a long and tough effort to secure this land as a public sanctuary. Dan was key in speaking to local officials, state and national conservancy organizations, and many individual donors for the purpose of finding over half a million dollars to buy this land from a friendly and cooperative owner. By June of 2009, the deadline for a major source of funding was fast approaching. At the last moment, a private donor pledged the amount necessary to seal the deal, and Dan was actually reported to be seen dancing with joy.
We all owe Dan our heartfelt gratitude for his ceaseless efforts in territory entirely new to him, because of a cause that he cared for so deeply.
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The attached file includes all Green Palmetto Award nominees.
