03.07.22
The American Botanical Council (ABC) is introducing the ABC Steven Foster Botanical Conservation and Sustainability Award, an annual award which will recognize excellence in conservation, sustainability, and regenerative farming efforts related to medicinal and aromatic plants. The award is named after Steven Foster, who died in January, commemorating his professional interest, writing, and advocacy work in this field.
The Foster Award will recognize an individual, nonprofit organization, or company that is committed to sustainable and regenerative practices in the botanical industry. Recipients will be taking action to address botanical sustainability issues and contributing to a broader understanding of cultural and biological diversity, soil health, climate change, and more. They will also demonstrate appreciation for the beauty of the natural world and be involved with collaboration and cooperation that transcend a particular discipline, according to ABC.
Foster’s career in sustainability and conservation in the botanical industry spanned more than 40 years. He served as a founding member of the United Plant Savers advisory board, advocated for industry trade resolutions to protect threatened botanicals, and consulted for ABC’s Sustainable Herbs Program (SHP).
“In creating the criteria for this award, we hope to celebrate not only a commitment to concrete action, but also Steven’s ability to bridge worlds and his appreciation for the beauty of the natural world, especially the beauty of plants. He was an herbalist, scientist, historian, photographer, writer, and much more. And he brought all those perspectives to his work with plants,” Ann Armbrecht, SHP director, said. “I once asked Steven how he approached photographing plants,” Armbrecht continued. “In his reply, he talked about awareness: ‘Being aware, I suppose, is simply approaching the world with awe…. It means experiencing the world with more than an open mind, but an open heart and believing in one’s own intuition, listening within, to move beyond the ordinary experience of the world.’”
Foster served on the ABC Board of Trustees for 22 years, 10 of them as the board president. He wrote more than 100 articles for ABC’s peer reviewed journal HerbalGram, and helped support the organization’s nonprofit research and educational mission. His photographs have appeared in every issue of HerbalGram since issue 24 in 1991, and have been on the cover of 59 issues.
Foster will also receive the ABC Champion Award, which was first awarded in 2015. It recognizes individuals who have donated time and/or funds to support ABC’s nonprofit research and educational mission, publications, and programs.
“It is quite clear that as much or more than anyone else, Steven gave his time, energy, writing, and photography to support and expand ABC’s unique nonprofit mission,” Mark Blumenthal, ABC Founder and Executive Director, said. “Even though it has been our normal policy that members of the ABC Board of Trustees are exempt from consideration for any of ABC’s awards, in this case, we here at ABC are all in agreement that Steven is truly deserving of this award. This is in recognition of his invaluable and irreplaceable gifts to ABC.”
The recipient of the inaugural ABC Steven Foster Botanical Conservation and Sustainability Award will be announced at the 17th annual ABC Celebration and Botanical Excellence Awards Ceremony on March 9 as part of Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA. This is the seventh award ABC has created as part of this annual event.
The Foster Award will recognize an individual, nonprofit organization, or company that is committed to sustainable and regenerative practices in the botanical industry. Recipients will be taking action to address botanical sustainability issues and contributing to a broader understanding of cultural and biological diversity, soil health, climate change, and more. They will also demonstrate appreciation for the beauty of the natural world and be involved with collaboration and cooperation that transcend a particular discipline, according to ABC.
Foster’s career in sustainability and conservation in the botanical industry spanned more than 40 years. He served as a founding member of the United Plant Savers advisory board, advocated for industry trade resolutions to protect threatened botanicals, and consulted for ABC’s Sustainable Herbs Program (SHP).
“In creating the criteria for this award, we hope to celebrate not only a commitment to concrete action, but also Steven’s ability to bridge worlds and his appreciation for the beauty of the natural world, especially the beauty of plants. He was an herbalist, scientist, historian, photographer, writer, and much more. And he brought all those perspectives to his work with plants,” Ann Armbrecht, SHP director, said. “I once asked Steven how he approached photographing plants,” Armbrecht continued. “In his reply, he talked about awareness: ‘Being aware, I suppose, is simply approaching the world with awe…. It means experiencing the world with more than an open mind, but an open heart and believing in one’s own intuition, listening within, to move beyond the ordinary experience of the world.’”
Foster served on the ABC Board of Trustees for 22 years, 10 of them as the board president. He wrote more than 100 articles for ABC’s peer reviewed journal HerbalGram, and helped support the organization’s nonprofit research and educational mission. His photographs have appeared in every issue of HerbalGram since issue 24 in 1991, and have been on the cover of 59 issues.
Foster will also receive the ABC Champion Award, which was first awarded in 2015. It recognizes individuals who have donated time and/or funds to support ABC’s nonprofit research and educational mission, publications, and programs.
“It is quite clear that as much or more than anyone else, Steven gave his time, energy, writing, and photography to support and expand ABC’s unique nonprofit mission,” Mark Blumenthal, ABC Founder and Executive Director, said. “Even though it has been our normal policy that members of the ABC Board of Trustees are exempt from consideration for any of ABC’s awards, in this case, we here at ABC are all in agreement that Steven is truly deserving of this award. This is in recognition of his invaluable and irreplaceable gifts to ABC.”
The recipient of the inaugural ABC Steven Foster Botanical Conservation and Sustainability Award will be announced at the 17th annual ABC Celebration and Botanical Excellence Awards Ceremony on March 9 as part of Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA. This is the seventh award ABC has created as part of this annual event.
