Phipps Conservatory Receives Garden Club of America’s Frances K. Hutchinson Medal
For Immediate Release: Tues., Jan. 6
Contact: Joe Reed | Director of Marketing and Communications
412-622-6915, ext. 3801 | jreed@phipps.conservatory.org
Phipps Conservatory Receives Garden Club of America's Frances K. Hutchinson Medal
Phipps Recognized for Distinguished Service to Conservation
Pittsburgh, PA – Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is proud to announce it has received the Frances K. Hutchinson Medal, awarded by the Garden Club of America (GCA). Each year, The GCA awards ten individuals or organizations with national medals, its highest honor. The Frances K. Hutchinson medal is awarded for distinguished service to conservation. Official presentation of the medal will take place this spring in New York City. Phipps was nominated for the medal by The Garden Club of Allegheny County (GCAC), a longtime partner which has contributed locally to gardening, horticulture, conservation, and civic planning initiatives since 1914.
“The Garden Club of America is proud to honor Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens for its global leadership in the promotion of human and environmental well-being through action, research, and public engagement,” said the GCA in a statement.
The GCA is a nonprofit, national organization composed of 199 member garden clubs with over 18,000 club members who devote energy and expertise to projects in their communities and across the United States. Its prestigious awards cover an array of categories that are most important to the Club, such as garden restoration, floral design, conservation education and more. The Frances K. Hutchinson medal was endowed by the Lake Geneva Garden Club in memory of its founder, Frances Kinsley Hutchinson (1857 – 1936) who was an avid horticulturist, naturalist and conservationist.
Throughout all aspects of the organization, Phipps strives to continuously advance sustainability while promoting human and environmental well-being through action and research. In recent years, these efforts have expanded to an international audience thanks to Phipps’ Climate Toolkit project, which has united more than 250 museums, gardens, zoos, nature centers and field stations worldwide in an effort to address climate change and inspire their guests to do the same.
“We are very honored to receive this prestigious award from the GCA in recognition of our work to engage people in experiencing the beauty and recognizing the importance of nature and the role we can all play in protecting it,” said Phipps President and CEO Richard Piacentini.
Phipps is recognized among an inspiring 2026 class of medalists. For a complete list of the 2026 awards and recipients, visit the GCA website.
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About The Garden Club of America: The purpose of the Garden Club of America is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, to share the advantages of association by means of educational meetings, conferences, correspondence, and publications, and to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement. Its leadership is composed of over 450 volunteers who serve at the national level in support of the member clubs and our outreach programs across the country. GCA volunteers are supported by a full-time staff of 13 professionals. Learn more at gcamerica.org.
About Phipps: Founded in 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA is a globally recognized green leader with a mission to inspire and educate all with the beauty and importance of plants; to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research; and to celebrate its historic glasshouse. Encompassing 15 acres including a historic 14-room glasshouse, 23 distinct indoor and outdoor gardens and industry-leading sustainable architecture and operations, Phipps attracts more than half a million visitors annually from around the world. Learn more at phipps.conservatory.org.
Watch TEDx: What We Can Learn From an Old Glasshouse: A look at the evolving way we connect people to nature at Phipps, demonstrate how human and environmental health are inextricably connected, and show that to age gracefully, we must continually reinvent ourselves to evolve with the rest of the world.
