Linda Heath Receives Golden Hoosier Award
“The Golden Hoosier Award is the highest honor given to senior citizens in Indiana, recognizing individuals aged 65 and older for their outstanding service and commitment to their communities. The initiative of the Indiana Lieutenant Governor, further states: “…this prestigious award, awarded annually, aims to celebrate the unsung heroes whose contributions have significantly impacted the lives of others and the community fabric, often without prior formal recognition.”
LEFT PHOTO: Master Gardener Linda Heath (right) stands with Kaylie Sherer, Director of HIlltop Garden and Nature Center, the person who nominated Linda as a Golden Hoosier.
RIGHT PHOTO: Linda is awarded the Golden Hoosier certificate by Lieutenant Govenor Micah Beckwith and another goverment official.
1000+ Hours of Volunteerism
Linda has been a Monroe County Master Gardener since 2008 and has officially completed over 1000 volunteer hours. Unofficially, her fellow gardeners know there are likely many more hours that go unreported because of her passion for the art of gardening! Her kind demeanor makes her a fun and congenial gardening partner and mentor. As she once said to me gardening provides “what I affectionately call my dirt therapy.”
At Hilltop Garden and Nature Center she co-founded and continues to maintain the Shakespeare Garden which sprung from an interest in the use of floral references in the works of that renowned author. But it wasn’t the literature itself that motivated the birth of the garden, rather it stemmed “from a love of the plants that grew during the time period. She gained a deeper knowledge of his literature through growing the garden and believes that others can as well.”
Hilltop is also the home of a Shade Garden that’s maintained by a blend of Master Gardeners and Bloomington Garden Club members. Over time, several of the ‘Shady Ladies’ were members of both groups. Linda Heath is one of the members who holds dual membership in two of Bloomington’s most well regarded gardening groups. She holds a wealth of institutional memory about Hilltop in general, but specifically the Shade Garden. Her knowlegde helps guide the evolution of Hilltop.
Kaylie Sherer, Manager of Hilltop: Why I Nominated Linda Heath for the Goldenn Hoosier Award
“Hilltop wouldn’t be possible without all of the amazing volunteers, including Master Gardeners and Master Gardener Interns, who generously share their time, energy, knowledge, and skills to help create a beautiful space for people of all ages to learn, get inspiration, connect with nature, and decompress. Linda Heath is one of these wonderful volunteers.
The week leading up to the Bloomington Garden Walk this year, Linda clocked 28 hours volunteering in the gardens at Hilltop in just a single week!
When a visitor crosses paths with Linda while she’s in the gardens at Hilltop, it’s not uncommon for Linda to pause what she’s doing and engage with them. She seems to have a knack for knowing what they might be needing in that moment; whether the visitor needs someone to answer a gardening question, or someone to provide them with some encouragement or life advice, or even just someone with a listening ear. Linda has mentioned to me encounters that she’s had in the gardens interacting with visitors who are from other places around the country and even from other places around the world, and I think of how lucky Hoosiers are to have someone like Linda representing Indiana to visitors from near and far; Linda leaves those visitors with the impression that Hoosiers are kind, welcoming, hard-working people.”
“To say that Linda earned this award is an understatement. Her dedication, care, devotion, commitment and just plain hard work at Hilltop warrant this acknowledgement. Shine, Linda, shine - bask in the glory of this honor bestowed!
Molly Morgan, fellow Shady Lady gardener
