Mary Bruce Glaize of the Little Garden Club of Winchester is the winner of the 2018 de Lacy Gray Memorial Medal for Conservation. Mary Bruce is co-founder of the Little Nature Camp sponsored by her club and has been a leader or co-leader since its inception in 1993. Little Nature Camp hosts approximately 25-30 campers from grades 1 through 4 for one week each July. Campers are guided by young adult counselors to explore pond life, go on nature hikes, assimilate observations made in the outdoors and learn from guest speakers. 2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the Little Nature Camp and how better to celebrate that milestone than to recognize the significant contributions of Mary Bruce.
She is also co-founder and trustee emerita of the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum which opened its doors in 1996 to help spark curiosity and inspire learning through creative play. The museum exhibits programs about conservation in creative and interactive ways to help children learn and appreciate the Shenandoah watershed, the creatures that thrive there, and the impact of humans on its stability.
Mary Bruce has chaired the GCV Conservation Committee, spent several years chairing conservation in her own club and is responsible for the creation and implementation of the GCV Learning Box for use in the Winchester Public School system. As member of the Garden Club of Virginia State Parks committee,
Mary Bruce headed the Parks Engagement Committee in 2014 and promoted state parks to many GCV clubs. Mary Bruce has been an amazing conservation steward for Virginia throughout her adult career, and has worked tirelessly to offer children an opportunity to experience the outdoors. Her legacy has helped create a generation of environmentally literate young people.
