The State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s Conservation Coordinator, Jennifer Ceska, was recently recognized with an Award of Merit from the American Public Gardens Association at its annual conference on June 10.
The American Public Gardens Association is the leading professional organization for the field of public horticulture and comprises nearly 600 public gardens in North America and internationally. The Award of Merit recognizes an association member who has performed with distinction in the field of public horticulture and has excelled as a public garden professional.
“Each year, we look forward to celebrating the most influential and innovative professionals and organizations in our industry, and I’m so proud of all of this year’s winners,” said Michelle Provaznik, CEO of American Public Gardens Association. “Jennifer has become a recognized leader in native plant conservation, and her mentorship of the next generation of conservationists will shape the future of plants and the people who work to save them.”
Ceska was recognized in 2025 for 30 years of service at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, a unit of Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia. As part of her master’s thesis at UGA, Ceska designed the garden’s plant conservation program and was hired to see that vision come to life.
Also, as part of her master’s thesis, Ceska researched how botanical gardens can support and promote conservation and developed the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance (GPCA), which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025.
The alliance, coordinated by Ceska, has grown into a network of over 100 partner organizations working to conserve 111 imperiled plant species. A success story from the GPCA’s efforts is the recovery work on the Smooth Coneflower, Echinacea laevigata. When the GPCA began work with the Smooth Coneflower, there were only six significant populations left in Georgia, and all were in decline, according to Ceska.
The plants were struggling to exist on roadsides, and one of the largest populations was at risk of being poached. State Botanical Garden Conservation Horticulturist Heather Alley has grown more than 2,500 plants, and GPCA has planted over 2,000 plants and sown 3,700 seeds directly into the wild. The six natural populations are now stabilized through better management, and all have flowering plants and are producing seed.
In August 2022, the Smooth Coneflower was downlisted under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from endangered to threatened, with the GPCA credited for its recovery work on this species in Georgia.
Ceska has consulted with 20 states across the U.S. seeking to create similar statewide conservation programs, with Georgia’s network described by the Southeastern Partners in Plant Conservation as “the gold standard of plant conservation networks.”
Outside of Ceska’s work with the GPCA, she and the garden’s conservation team have created nine new statewide plant conservation programs and initiatives, including the Georgia Grasslands Initiative, which seeks to restore prairie habitats throughout Georgia, and the Georgia Native Seed Network, a collaborative partnership to produce locally adapted seeds and other plant materials across much of the Southeast.
“Jennifer Ceska is truly a champion for plant conservation in Georgia, the Southeast, and nationally, and has led transformative partnerships that have a lasting impact on native plants throughout the U.S.,” said State Botanical Garden Director Jenny Cruse-Sanders. “Anyone who has an opportunity to talk with Jennifer knows how passionate she is about her work, and she is so deserving of this honor from the American Public Gardens Association.”
Ceska also has a passion for mentoring students to become the next generation of plant conservation leaders, having mentored 42 students since 2018, including 18 who have become plant conservation professionals.
She was designated as a Conservation Champion by the National Center for Plant Conservation in 2020 and received the Garden Club of America’s Regional Zone VIII Conservation Commendation in 2023.
“Jennifer not only consistently brings a wealth of knowledge, but possesses a truly incomparable combination of emotional intelligence, sensitivity to others, warm humor, and a powerful force of will. She wields these tools in such a way that change happens, things get done, and everyone around her feels good about it,” said Ray Mims, retired Conservation and Partnerships Manager for the U.S. Botanic Garden.
“She leads consistently by lifting others, providing encouragement, and making pointed suggestions without ever attracting a spotlight to herself. She simply never seeks recognition for the hugely consequential work she coordinates.”
For more information about the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and its conservation programs, visit botgarden.uga.edu.
