Merritt Lyndon Fernald Award
Merritt Lyndon Fernald was born in 1873 in Orono, Maine. In 1891 he enrolled in Harvard University and started working at the Gray Herbarium, both of which he remained associated with until his death in 1950. During those 60 years he intensively studied the flora of eastern North America, made numerous field expeditions throughout the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, and authored over 800 papers on floristically related subjects. Two of his most important contributions were: Persistence of Plants in Unglaciated Areas of Boreal North America (1925) and Gray's Manual of Botany, 8th Edition (1950). Fernald served as an Associate Editor of Rhodora, Journal of The New England Botanical Club from its inception in 1899 to 1928, and as Editor-in-Chief from 1928 until his death in 1950. He was an active member and promoter of the Club.
The Council of the New England Botanical Club honors Fernald's exemplary contributions to the botany of northeastern North America through the Merritt Lyndon Fernald Award. The award is given annually, if deemed appropriate, to the author(s) of the best paper published in each volume of Rhodora that has made use of herbarium specimens and/or involved fieldwork. Topics to be considered include, but are not limited to, biogeography, floristics, life-history studies, monographs, and revisions. Papers on vascular or nonvascular plants, lichens, fungi, and algae will be considered. The competition is not limited to a particular geographic area, but is open to studies in any part of the world.
Recipients of the Fernald Award will receive $1000.00 and a certificate acknowledging the achievement. The award is usually presented at the May New England Botanical Club meeting.
Fernald Award Winners
2010 (Volume 112): Sean C. Robinson, Edwin H. Ketchledge, Brian T. Fitzgerald, Dudley J. Raynal, and Robin W. Kimmerer. "A 23-Year Assessment of Vegetation Composition and Change in the Adirondack Alpine Zone, New York State." Read more...
2009 (Volume 111): James L. Reveal. "Identification of the plant and associated animal images in Catesby's Natural History, with nomenclatural notes and comments." Read more...
2008 (Volume 110): William F. Nichols and Virginia C. Nichols. "The land use history, flora, and natural communities of the Isles of Shoals, Rye, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine." Read more...
2007 (Volume 109): David S. Barrington and Catherine A. Paris. "Refugia and migration in the Quaternary history of the New England flora." Read more...
2006 (Volume 108): Paul M. Catling. "Characteristics of Amelanchier lucida (Rosaceae) based on an examination of the holotype
and plants from the type locality." Read more...
2005 (Volume 107): The late Craig W. Greene, Linda L. Gregory, Glen H. Mittelhauser, Sally C. Rooney, and Jill E. Weber. "Vascular flora of the Acadia National Park region, Maine." Read more...
2004 (Volume 106): Walter S. Judd and Darin S. Penneys. "Taxonomic studies in the Miconieae (Melastomataceae). VIII. A revision of the species in the
Miconia desportesii complex on Hispaniola." Read more...
2003 (Volume 105): Arthur C. Mathieson, Clinton J. Dawes, Larry G. Harris, and Edward J. Hehre. "Expansion of the Asiatic green alga Codium fragile subsp. tomentosoides in the Gulf of Maine."
2002 (Volume 104): Robert Bertin. "Losses of native plant species in Worcester, Massachusetts."
