2026 Academic Awards

Every year, the BGC is pleased to award two undergraduate students from the UVM Department of Agriculture, Landscape and Environment, which focuses on sustainable food systems, ecological landscape design, and soil health.

Gavin Young and Harrison Loyd each received $1,000 from the BGC in honor of their hard work and academic achievements.

Pictured with Margaret Bartholomew -BGC Academic Chair and Mark Starrett - UVM Associate Professor of Horticulture

Gavin is from Berlin, Vermont. He has been infatuated with the environment since an early age. Before coming to UVM, Gavin took a “Gap Year” and traveled in western Europe for 3 months, worked for 4 months and then traveled the southwest for 2 months. During this time, he found the importance of conserving public lands and creating healthy ecosystems.

At UVM, Gavin is a major in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology in the Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources and has a minor in Sustainable Landscape Horticulture in the Department of Agroecology and Landscape Design in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Gavin is the current President of the UVM Horticulture Club as well as the Vice President of the UVM Birding Club. Gavin has been extremely active on campus and has garnered funds in the amount of nearly $50,000 from the UVM Sustainable Campus Fund for projects including a meadow renovation, a “Soft Landing Garden” and most recently for “Campus Reforestation”. Two of these projects are near completion and the third is still being processed through the numerous administrative channels at UVM. Gavin has also assisted with other garden projects on campus including a “Naturalistic Garden” and an “Ash Tree Underplanting” with native maples. Gavin has worked with Dr. Mark Starrett for the past two summers as an intern helping todesign, install and maintain the multitude of ornamental and pollinator-friendly gardens across campus.

Outside of the horticultural world Gavin has obtained his USGS bird banding license and has banded Northern Saw-whet Owls at the North Branch Nature Center for four years, volunteered for the VCE Mountain Birdwatch, USGS Breeding Bird Survey, and the Christmas Bird Count. He will be doing research this summer on the response of bird communities to climate adapted silvicultural practices.

In recognition of his academic and service achievements, Gavin has received the 2025 and 2026 Vermont Garden Club Award, the 2025 National Garden Club Award, the UVM T. Salmon Scholarship for Outstanding Service and most recently has been notified that he will be receiving one of 55 National Udall Scholarships.

Harrison Loyd is a senior majoring in Landscape Design with a minor in Studio Art at UVM. He grew up in Guiford, CT which is just outside New Haven. While there, he worked alongside his father doing various jobs in tree care, landscaping and construction. Harry combined his love for nature and art by declaring his current major and minor at UVM and has never regretted this. Harry has worked for Bartlett Tree Experts in Connecticut in 2023, with Matt Leonetti at Morning Dew Landscaping in 2024 and last summer at Common Roots Farm in South Burlington where he helped to manage their Farm-to-Table program. Harry finished up his summer interning with Ambler Designs in Stowe.

At UVM last fall, Harry worked along his academic advisor, Dr. Fortino Acosta on a “Vision Montpelier” project which received a 1 st Place Award for “best landscape design” and “best design for a sustainable community”. Additionally, Harry participated in a National Society of Civil Engineering competition for repurposing an office building and creating apartments from it. His team ended up with a 1 st place award for their poster design.

Outside of the classroom Harry has been on the UVM Men’s D2 Rugby Team. He and his teammates were U.S. National Champions in 2025! After graduating, Harry plans to travel by rail and backpack across Europe and also participate in WWOOFing in the Swiss Alps. (WillingWorkers on Organic Farms) On his return to the US, Harry hopes to secure a position at an urban landscape architecture firm in NY or Boston but he is open to pursuing a MLA if he finds that it will be needed for this “next step” in his career.