Tyler Johnson ’22, a senior majoring in environmental studies, and Torin O’Brien ’24, a sophomore majoring in biology, received this year’s C. Ritchie Bell Award.

Both Johnson and O’Brien served as interns with the North Carolina Botanical Garden, Johnson as a Battle Park intern and O’Brien as a horticulture intern.

The award was created in 2015 by a gift from Robert Edward Wyatt and Ann Hudson Stoneburner to honor the memory of C. Ritchie Bell (1921-2013), the first director of the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

An active and influential scientist, Bell enthusiastically advanced the appreciation and conservation of native plants, especially in the southeastern United States.

The C. Ritchie Bell Award ensures that a UNC-Chapel Hill student and/or young professional at the North Carolina Botanical Garden can attend the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference.

Two awards were given this year because of the cancellation of the Cullowhee Conference in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about the North Carolina Botanical Garden…Opens in new window