The Bermuda Botanical Society has awarded a $5,000 scholarship to Peter Lee to help him pursue his Bachelor of Science.

Mr. Lee is entering his second year at Writtle College in the UK. He is majoring in Horticulture: Landscaping and Amenity Management.

Mr. Lee is 40 and has worked with the Parks Department for the last five years, four of which were spent working in the Botanical Gardens.

While he was at the Parks Department, Mr. Lee realised that Bermuda needed more horticulturists and he decided to put himself through university.

He said: ?There are so many opportunities available, in a lot of different areas, for people that want to pursue horticulture.?

Mr. Lee?s degree covers a range of courses including turf management, landscape design and construction, plant design and surveying, horticulture and soil science as well as management courses.

Mr. Lee is concentrating on finishing his degree but, he said in the future, he might consider getting more training and possibly teaching horticulture because he wants to encourage young Bermudians to enter the field of horticulture.

President of the Bermuda Botanical Society George Peterich, said that this scholarship is one of the ways the society is encouraging botanical sciences in Bermuda.

The Society holds a Fall Festival, which includes pumpkin carving and hay rides.

This year they also held Bot Camp, a summer camp run with Masterworks Foundation, that covered both botany and art.

The Society also holds workshops and its volunteers run the Visitors? Centre in the Botanical Gardens.