Creative Initiatives at TBG

Inspired by Annawyn Shamas

Shamas Family Foundation

Image	Caption
	Garden Patio We would like to thank Annawyn Shamas for funding the completion of the Horticulture Education Center garden patio. The patio now includes many places to sit, a beautiful fountain, and shade structures to add comfort on hot, sunny days. It is a great addition to the Horticulture Education Center and will now be known as the Shamas Family Foundation Garden Patio.
	Evelyn DeBenning Storybook Trail In addition to the garden patio, Annawyn Shamas has been the driving force behind the Evelyn DeBenning Storybook Trail. Annawyn has long wanted to honor the memory of her mother, Evelyn DeBenning, and had the idea to create a storybook trail at The Botanic Garden where children can immerse themselves in the wonder of nature and explore the varied worlds of children’s literature. The entry gate has been installed and eight bronze sculptures, all related to children’s literature, will be arriving soon, including works commissioned specifically for this project. She has also funded an endowment to help with maintenance and programming related to the storybook trail, so other departments such as English, Theatre, and the OSU Museum of Art can be involved. We hope to celebrate the grand opening of the Evelyn DeBenning Storybook Trail this spring, so please check facebook/thebotanicgarden for updates and details. Thank you Annawyn for your vision and generosity! We look forward to families and young readers enjoying the storybook trail and to where that inspiration takes them!
	Staff Changes In the fall of 2025, we bid a fond farewell to our garden manager Connor Schmitz as he earned his master’s degree and obtained a job at Wellsley College in Massachusetts. We appreciate the time we had with Connor and all his talents, and wish him all the best. Assistant garden manager Holly Han was promoted to garden manager, and we appreciate Holly’s hard work during the transition when she performed both roles. We look forward to a bright future for the garden with Holly at the helm. Claire Carver was hired as the Assistant Garden Manager at the beginning of 2026, after graduating with a degree in Horticulture from OSU in December. Claire has worked as a student intern/ employee at the garden for the past two years and we are happy to have her join the team as a full-time employee.
	Oklahoma Gardening Tribute Terrace In honor of OKG’s 50th Anniversary, Ray Campbell gave a leadership gift to construct the OKG Tribute Terrace, a pavilion and outdoor kitchen. Ray’s intent is to recognize all the volunteers, behind the camera crew, viewers, and hosts that have made OKG such a success for the past 50 years. The OKG Tribute Terrace will of course be used for filming OKG segments, but it will also be available for families gathering for picnics, student clubs meeting for dinner, or for visitors to duck in out of the rain. We thank Ray Campbell for inspiring this addition, and we look forward to constructing it this summer, and enjoying it for years to come.

We Thank the Following for their Support!

• Garden Benefactor
  • Marsha and Bob Adams 
  • Linda and Donald Allen
  • Lou and Shelley Anella
  • Ray Campbell
  • Bobby Hayes
  • Alexa and Randy Holland
  • Les Imboden and Susie Taylor
  • Sara Brown and Matt Jeffery
  • Lembcke/Davey Family
  • Diana and Craig Maile
  • Jim and Ann Mitchell
  • Doug and Jackie Needham
  • Barbara K. Pass Endowment
  • Payne County Master Gardeners
  • Annawyn Shamas
  • Laura and Michael Shaw
  • Joyce Taylor
  • Tabitha Doescher
  • Josh Wiener
• Garden Sponsor
  • John and Nancy Allford
  • Ron and Cara Beer
  • Don and Patricia Dickson
  • Dave and Deb Engle
  • Tom and Krystal Hennessey
  • Judy Hull
  • Caryl Jobe
  • Kay County Master Gardeners
  • Donna Smith
  • John and Janene Stewart
  • Beth Thornton
  • Heidi and Elliot Williams
• Garden Patron
  • Dana and Barry Bessinger
  • Deborah Francisco
  • Anne and Leonard McMurtry
  • Norma L. Payne
  • Macey and Joseph Robinson
• Sustaining
  • Gladeen Allred
  • Drew and Aerial Anthony
  • Calvin and Linda Anthony
  • Carole and Roy Bays
  • Rod Billings
  • Suzanne and Mike Campbell
  • Laura Carter
  • Jane and Gary Clark
  • Linda and Peter Clark
  • Melissa DeLacerda
  • Damona Doye
  • Tony and Alice Echelle
  • Karen and Tommy Edgar
  • Holly Ewing
  • Joyce and Bradley Hise
  • Larry and Judy Hoberock
  • Priscilla and Skip Iba
  • Ivan and Wanda Hughes
  • Meg and Darrel Kletke
  • Rex and Jan Largent
  • Paul and Jean McMullen
  • Bonnie Petty
  • Carol Ann Powell
  • Erica Rand
  • Sydney Reding
  • Jim Rutledge
  • Connie and Lanny Sells
  • Tommy and Rachel Shreffler
  • Stillwater Newcomer’s Club
  • Lisa and John Storm
  • Al and Celeste Taber
  • Liz and Ron Tarbutton
  • Lou Watkins
  • Keith and Dolores Willett
  • Elizabeth Williams and Robert Mayer
• Contributing
  • Shawna and Jacob Astley
  • Cathie and Ronald Barney
  • Ciena Bayard
  • Sandra Clemons
  • Dawn and Carl Driskill
  • Joanne and Steven Franks
  • Carolyn Gang and Ed Noltensmeyer
  • Kathy Hewitt
  • Maxine and Ford Lasher
  • Leo and Susie Presley
  • Annette Pritchett
• Event Sponsors

  Platinum

  • Bluepeak
  • John Houck
  • OG&E

  
  

  Gold

  • Allergy Partners of OK
  • Bancfirst
  • Jim and Ann Berry
  • Roger Gose P.E
  • Ann Halligan
  • Hideaway Pizza
  • Martin Jean & Jackson
  • OSU Office of the President
  • Real Estate Professionals
  • Russ and Donna Rhinehart

  
  

  Silver

  • B&L Heating and Air Conditioning
  • Kicker
  • Lost Creek Self Storage
  • Simmons Bank

The Following Endowed Funds Support Student Internships

• Chelsea Flower Show Travel Scholarship
• Charlie Gray Experience Fund
• Bobby and Claranne Hayes Family Experience Fund
• Carl and LaJean Whitcomb Experience Fund

We Also Thank

The Ferguson College of Agriculture, OSU Extension, Oklahoma Gardening, their staff and sponsors

Our Ambassadors (volunteers), Who Have Provided So Much To Us for 30+ Years!

• David Hillock for leading tours
• Shelley Mitchell for leading educational programming
  

Our Wonderful Students

Cat Baird, Mez Barth, Trey Bates, Shayli Bias, Katie Coleman, Neshoba Giger,
Perry Johnson, Jacy Landers, Pete Littlefield, Conner Lowery, Kim Rodriguez, Sydney Simmons, Gracie Trueblood

We Celebrated the Following Anniversaries of Ambassadors Volunteering

• 15 year - Kathy Adkins, Linda Blum, Ladd and Maxine Hudgins
• 1 year - Railee Creech, Donna Dollins, Brenda Smith

We thank all our Ambassadors for all they give to the garden!