Two Fulton residents honored by Prairie Foundation

Two Fulton residents were recently honored by the Missouri Prairie Foundation.
The "Bill T. Crawford Prairie Professional of the Year" award was presented to Ken McCarty, of Fulton. McCarty has had a long and distinguished career with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks. Between 1986 and 2003, he served as a natural resource steward, working directly with state park field staff throughout the entire park system to plan and implement prescribed fire programs (particularly in prairie, savanna, glade and woodland landscapes), invasive species control, woody species management and research programs.
From 2003 to the present McCarty has been chief of the Natural Resource Management Section, overseeing implementation of natural resource management throughout the park system and serving as fire program coordinator for state parks. He has also served on the Missouri Natural Areas Committee for more than 20 years, is currently the chair, and has been an advisor to resource committees of the Conservation Federation of Missouri.
MPF's Grow Native! program presented its 2016 "Native Plant Pioneer Award" to Ann Wakeman, of Fulton. Wakeman's passion for native plants and their requisite role in environmental health has fueled decades of work and scores of projects that put native plants in landscapes, and guided others to appreciate, use and manage natives in plantings of their own.
In the late 1980s, Wakeman learned the native trade when she planted natives on the acreage she and her husband own. She founded Rockpost Nursery, and sold plants and installed gardens through 2013 including a waterscape in Forest Park, St. Louis, and the United Methodist Conference Center, in Columbia.
She has written articles for various publications, guided field trips to remote places to show others rare and beautiful plantsand led workshops for various groups.
Wakeman continues to put native plants in the ground, to encourage an understanding and appreciation of native plants by the public, and to guide others to strike out and make a difference by engaging their interest and trusting their instincts as she has done.
The 50-year-old, private, nonprofit Missouri Prairie Foundation owns and manages more than 3,200 acres of prairie in Missouri for public enjoyment, and through partnerships with public agencies and private individuals, has helped conserve thousands of additional acres.
MPF also operates the Grow Native! native plant education and marketing program.
MPF receives support from its 1,800 members and other groups, and invites all to join in conserving remaining prairie.
Visit www.moprairie.org for more information.