All flora great & small.

With a love of the great outdoors and a special affinity for Pennsylvania's Wissahicken Park, "semi-retired" veterinarian Joseph Dlugach brought his healing skills to his corner of the state. He supervised a team of 400 volunteers; planted more than 11,000 trees, shrubs, vines, flowers, and grasses; brought together a team of experts to tackle the park's complex environmental problems; and continues to rebuild the park. Sound impressive? Consider the fact that Dr. Dlugach had no previous experience with forestry or conservation.

For this extraordinary effort, Dlugach was awarded the MasterCard Jean Giono Award in Partnership with Global ReLeaf. The award, sponsored jointly by MasterCard and AMERICAN FORESTS, recognizes outstanding citizens devoted to good stewardship and improvement of the nation's forests. The award was presented at the Sixth National Urban Forest Conference, held in Minneapolis in September.

Wissahicken Park, a 1,600-acre natural area located in Fairmont Park on the northwest side of Philadelphia, was established in the 1860s by the city council and a group of local citizens. More than 50,000 trees were planted back then, and much attention was given to the park's care and continued use. A resurgence of interest in the 1930s led to more planting, the building of shelters, and the restoration of paths. By the early 1970s, however, the signs of decay were glaringly apparent after almost 40 years of neglect and encroachment by development.

Dlugach joined with a group repairing shelters in Wissahicken Park, but soon realized that constant vandalism was frustrating efforts to improve the shelters. He decided to try a more holistic approach to improving the park. In 1984 he established Friends of the Wissahicken and later a Conservation Committee of volunteer professionals to oversee planning and management. He involved government agencies such as the Fairmont Park Commission, Streets Department, Water Department, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to help solve problems such as stormwater management that had to be addressed along with tree planting and trail maintenance.

In the meantime, park-beautification efforts were running at a brisk pace. From 1986 to 1993, 2,702 trees from American beeches to red oak were planted on weekends by volunteers. In all, 48 different plant species--including flowering plants, vines, and grasses--were placed in Wissahicken Park to revitalize it and maintain a good diversity of species.

Dlugach's talent at bringing people together, both volunteers and professionals, served as a prime example for the people of Philadelphia and around Pennsylvania of what can be achieved through coordination and a determination to improve a cherished area. His receipt of the Giono award has helped to spread the word around even more.

Some of the goals for Friends of the Wissahicken include gathering more money for the organization and tackling deer overpopulation. The award money "will go up in trees rather than up in smoke," Dlugach pledged upon receiving the award. He hopes that heightened recognition will help Friends of Wissahicken get more contributions.

As for the deer-population problem, Wissahicken Park is just one of the many areas that have suffered in terms of overgrazing and high numbers of deer in forest areas. Dr. Dlugach is hoping that the City Park Commission will allow controlled hunting in the park to combat the rising populations of deer. If that doesn't help, then it can be assured that this dedicated veterinarian will employ his knowledge of animals to tackle the problem.