Barbara Pitschel, 1939 – 2010, had been the Head Librarian at the Helen Crocker Russell Library of the San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum for almost 30 years when she died. As a way to commemorate a truly remarkable woman I created this competition for the students in the environmental horticulture department at the City College of San Francisco. The candidates have to write an essay of up to 1000 words on any aspect of the topic “Natural California” and illustrate it with images they have created themselves.