Former NBF Board Member presented distinguished Japanese award

All photos courtesy of Aaron Webb – Embassy of Japan in the USA

The Ambassador of Japan honored former National Bonsai Foundation (NBF) Board of Directors Member and author Ann McClellan at a ceremony earlier this month for her outstanding contributions of introducing Japanese culture and promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States. 

Though she was officially awarded the Imperial Decoration “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays” in 2021, the award presentation and ceremony was ultimately hosted on May 10, 2022, at the home of Koji Tomita, Japanese ambassador to the United States. 

“I am humbled beyond measure to have been recognized in this way,” Ann said. “It wasn't something I sought or expected.”

The presentation began with Ambassador Tomita’s speech, which welcomed the intimate crowd of Ann’s colleagues, friends and family and highlighted her contributions to furthering understanding of Japanese culture in the United States. The ambassador presented Ann with a certificate signed by the Japanese prime minister to accompany her medal, which had been pinned to her jacket for the ceremony. 

“The award came in a lovely lacquer box, which I keep in a special spot where I can see it daily,” she said. “Sometimes I reach out and touch it, just to affirm to myself that it's really here in my world.”

Ann also spoke at the ceremony, thanking the many supporters she has had throughout her career and about her introduction to Asian culture, which came when she unexpectedly taught a Japanese and Asian history course to high school students while finishing college. Since then, she’s traveled to Japan several times, worked on the Smithsonian Institution’s product development team for Japanese goods, written several books on Japanese cherry blossoms and spread the spirit of bonsai throughout the United States. 

Ann and her brother, Bill, speaking at the ceremony

“I was one hour ahead of the students in learning that semester, but it launched my abiding interest in Japan and all things Japanese,” Ann said in her speech. “I thank the cherry blossom and bonsai spirits for the honor and privilege of sharing their stories, and I thank the government of Japan for its recognition of my efforts to expand understanding of Japanese culture through these trees.” 

Ann’s eldest brother, Bill, gave a toast in her honor, which included an overview of Ann’s academic and professional background as well as family memories the siblings share. 

“To you and your written works and presentations on the Sakura Celebration, bonsai and Japanese culture – we toast your good works and wish you good luck in your next projects,” Bill said in his toast. 

Ann said she was in a state of astonishment about the experience and still lives in the reverie. For the foreseeable future, you will find her presentations on bonsai and cherry blossoms or working on her upcoming publications. Ann’s next book, to be published in 2023, highlights the cherry trees blossoming at the U.S. National Arboretum and around the world. You can find her book about the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty, on the NBF bookstore.

 Although Ann recently finished her term as a member of the NBF Board, we still wholeheartedly  feel her support as a long-time supporter and leader of the Foundation. NBF is grateful for her dedication to sharing the art of bonsai and looks forward to her continued success in spreading appreciation and understanding for Japanese culture.

The Bonsai Board: Ann McClellan

Photo by Kenji

The National Bonsai Foundation’s Board of Directors comprises many talented individuals who are passionate about the art of bonsai. Ann McClellan is no exception, so we spoke with her about her contributions to the bonsai world. 

Ann has long been involved with the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, but she joined the Bonsai Board in 2018. She said her work at the Smithsonian Institution and World Wildlife Fund provided her with an excellent knowledge base to be an ambassador for and to support the Foundation’s mission to promote bonsai and foster intercultural friendship. 

“I care so much about the trees and the Museum and Arboretum, and I felt I could both share useful info and be a conveyer of the NBF message,” she said.

Ann as a child, collecting sap from a sugar maple

Ann's connection to trees dates back to her childhood, having lived among the beautiful trees and glades at the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. Her family first lived in a house on the school’s golf course.
“It was like living on a boat in the middle of an ocean of trees and grass,” she said. 

Ann said Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed the campus she grew up on as well as other famous outdoor respites, like Central Park in New York City, believed that people benefit from being immersed in thoughtful arrangements of land and plants. Growing up on the campus pay attention to trees her whole life – from the oaks and elms at Lawrenceville campus to the bonsai at the Museum. 

Ann studied history at Goucher College outside of Baltimore but has continued to pursue different subjects as a lifelong learner, including during her 16-year career at the Smithsonian Institution. She first worked in product development, searching for items in the collection that could be reproduced for Smithsonian shops and catalogues.

The Lawrenceville campus in the 50s or 60s, courtesy of Lawrenceville School

“I loved that I could learn about millions of objects including botanical specimens,” Ann said. 

Through this work, she met entomologists and botanists with whom she worked to educate the public about the different specimens and gardens seen throughout the Smithsonian collections. Ann then transitioned to a position at the World Wildlife Fund, where she helped spread crucial information about the value of wildlife conservation, including sustainable horticulture. 

Ann later worked as a freelance writer, which eventually led to her inaugural book called The Cherry Blossom Festival: Sakura Celebration, first published in 2005. She researched, wrote and assembled images for the beautiful ode to D.C.’s annual cherry blossom festival in just six months to meet the publisher’s deadline. 

“That was an intense learning period about trees because, in addition to festival facts and what cherry blossoms mean to the Japanese, I also had to learn about them as trees,” Ann said.

Seven years later, Ann worked with National Geographic to publish Cherry Blossoms: The Official Book of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, to honor the festival’s centennial celebration. With these authoring experiences, Ann was the perfect person to write about the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, at the suggestion of former Museum Curator Jack Sustic. 

“I was so grateful for the opportunity, and I have loved learning about bonsai and connecting with the trees,” she said. 

Ann worked with Sustic, Museum Specialist Kathleen Emerson-Dell and then-Executive Director Johann Klodzen to produce Bonsai & Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace and Beauty. The book details the history of the Museum’s trees and their instrumental role in international diplomacy, world's fair exhibitions and bonsai interest in the United States. 

“There are lots of books on the market but many are not as beautiful as this one, so I’m grateful for all the people who had something to do with that,” she said. 

Ann has spent many years promoting bonsai and the Museum through her book and continues to garden clubs, plant lovers and the public about the trees and their remarkable stories. She personally connects with the art because the essence of each tree species is distilled into the bonsai. 

“In Japan I saw a 70-foot-tall red pine with the same curved trunk as the Imperial Pine at the Museum, which allowed me to see why the Imperial Pine has such a presence just in its 4 feet,” Ann said. “The fact that a series of people over generations have cared for each of these trees is a message worth sharing.”

Ann (center) with her bonsai book at a receptions for the 2019 American Public Gardens Association Conference  (Courtesy of Olivia Anderson Photography)

She aims to highlight how bonsai practitioners around the world so clearly connect with trees in a deep way – and her efforts don’t go unnoticed. In early 2021, Ann received an award from the Japanese government for her success in promoting Japanese culture and promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States. 

“To be honored like this is profoundly moving,” she said. “My life has been dedicated to service in a way – nonprofit work, education, ‘edu-tainment.’ These are not things you do if you’re looking to see your name in lights. It’s more about improving other people’s experiences.”

Ann continues to be an active member on the NBF board and is thrilled about plans to renovate the Museum’s exhibit spaces and tree pavilions. 

“It’s exciting to be part of something that has a future, and such a bright one, which I think will make it easier for more people to connect with the trees,” she said. 

Learn more about Ann McClellan and her work on her website. 

U.S. National Arboretum Hosts Receptions for American Public Gardens Association Conference

The American Public Gardens Association annual conference was held in Washington, D.C. from June 17th to the 21st. The U.S. National Arboretum hosted a dinner and five small receptions for APGA on June 20th.  

Before dinner in the Great Meadow, the Arboretum held receptions in five different locations on the grounds: The Washington Youth Garden, Friendship Garden, The Turf Grass Exhibit, The National Herb Garden and The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.  

Photos Courtesy of Olivia Anderson Photography

The National Bonsai Foundation hosted the Museum’s reception, serving sushi and Japanese beer. Guests were able to enjoy the Museum’s renowned tree collections throughout the party. 

Photos Courtesy of Olivia Anderson Photography

During the reception, Museum curator Michael James and 2019 First Curator's Apprentice Andy Bello gave bonsai pruning demonstrations. Museum volunteer and artist Young Choe composed a kusamono (the Japanese botanical art of a potted arrangement of wild grasses and flowers). 

Landscape architect, Joseph James from Reed Hilderbrand fostered a discussion about upcoming renovations to the Museum complex and presented a display of preliminary renovation plans. 

Photo Courtesy of Olivia Anderson Photography

Authors Sandra Moore, Stephen Voss and Ann McClellan also staffed a bookstand that held books they have written about the Museum. The National Bonsai Foundation and U.S. National Arboretum are grateful to all who attended and helped make the event a big success!