Rick Huffman to Receive Lifetime Conservation Award
by Jeanne Malmgren
It should surprise none of us in the Upstate chapter that our very own Rick Huffman will soon be recognized with an award that honors his dedication to the natural environment of our state.
On September 18 in Columbia, Rick will receive the Lifetime Conservation Award from Conservation Voters of South Carolina (CVSC), a 20-year-old bipartisan organization that holds elected leaders accountable for a safe, clean, and healthy South Carolina. Rick’s award, according to CVSC, is presented to someone with a long record of leadership in protecting, enhancing, or restoring our state’s land, air, and water. The award is not given every year, only when CVSC decides an individual is deserving of the honor. Rick will join past honorees such as Rudy Mancke, U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, and Tommy Wyche.
Rick’s environmental advocacy work dates back to the 1970s. It’s a passion that has always directed his professional and personal goals. “Conservation never ends in a single lifetime,” he says. “It requires a commitment to do what you can while you can, so future generations can realize the natural wonders we have experienced. Someone has to speak for that which cannot speak. Nature needs us to be the voice.”
Rick, who currently serves as Advocacy Chair for our chapter, was a co-founder of the South Carolina Native Plant Society in 1996. That same year, he started his own landscape architecture and design firm, Earth Design, which specializes in sustainable landscapes featuring indigenous flora. He has served on the boards of several Upstate environmental efforts, and won multiple statewide awards including Environmental Educator of the Year, the Governor’s Award for Environmental Awareness, and Upstate Forever’s Volunteer of the Year. His extensive resume also includes co-founding the National Native Plant Coalition and the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Coalition.
Those of us in the Upstate chapter know Rick as a board member both for our chapter and statewide, as well as his 13 years of service as President of SCNPS. He’s a tireless volunteer at our Upstate plant sales and a popular speaker for our monthly meetings. He also designed the native plant demonstration garden at the Pickens County Museum of Art & History, a landmark project of our chapter.
Rick’s Lifetime Conservation Award will be presented on September 18 during the Green Tie Awards Luncheon, at Historic 701 Whaley in Columbia. Individual tickets are $100 and can be reserved at cvsc.org/greentie.
