Dr. Waddell Barnes, a retired physician and horticultural visionary who spearheaded efforts to create botanical gardens on the Macon Campus at Middle Georgia State College, has been honored with a national “Award of Excellence” from National Garden Clubs Inc. NGC is recognized as the largest volunteer gardening organization in the world. 
 
Nominated by The Garden Club of Georgia Inc., Barnes is a certified master gardener who guided the development of botanical gardens on Middle Georgia State Macon Campus to showcase shrubs and trees from around the world, as well as native plants and other specimens that have adapted to the region. In 2003, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia named the Waddell Barnes Botanical Gardens in his honor. More about the gardens is at http://www.mga.edu/botanical/.
 
Barnes is one of two Award of Excellence recipients recognized this year by National Garden Clubs Inc. The Award of Excellence program annually recognizes exceptional individuals, organizations or institutions that have made significant contributions to their communities in such areas as environmental and civic responsibility, conservation, community beautification and promoting the love of gardening.

Barnes, who earned a degree in medicine at Harvard University Medical School and whose practice in internal medicine and oncology spans decades, is a past chairman of the board of trustees and adviser for health education at the former Macon State College. Inspired by the diversity and beauty of the thousands of plantings on the  campus, Barnes led efforts to expand on the original landscape design. Under his guidance and direction, the college commissioned the creation of an ambitious landscaping master plan that would more than double the college’s original areas. 

The campus currently features 36 dynamic botanical garden areas that include more than 3,000 trees, 185 individual species and 150 cultivars gracefully situated among campus buildings and along walkways for the enjoyment and horticultural education of students, faculty and visitors. 
 
In addition, Barnes established a horticulture room at the college’s library, which houses many of his personal gardening and horticulture books. In 2013, Barnes received the Lawrence Enersen Award from the Arbor Day Foundation in recognition of his lifelong commitment to tree planting and conservation on a community level.