OAKLAND, Maine — Maine Woods Forever invites nominations for the fourth annual Teddy Roosevelt Maine Conservation Award.
This youth-oriented award recognizes young people and youth organizations whose efforts are in the spirit of Roosevelt’s conservation ethic and achievements, and recognizes what Maine’s young people are doing to conserve our forest heritage, with an eye to their potential as future conservation leaders.
“The Teddy Roosevelt Maine Conservation Award honors today’s young people and the legacy of America’s most celebrated conservationist, President Theodore Roosevelt,” noted John Rust, a board member of Maine Woods Forever and chairman of this effort. “Many credit his rugged sojourns in Maine during the late 1800s with shaping his determination to conserve our natural world.”
Andrew Vietze, author of Becoming Teddy Roosevelt, concurred, stating “the seeds of conservation that he would go on to plant — establishing our national parks system, monuments, wildlife and recreation preserves — were sown right here when he was an impressionable young man.”
Recipients must demonstrate a commitment to Maine’s forests and woodlands. Special attention will be paid to unsung nominees who have achieved success not otherwise recognized. Weight will be given to leadership qualities that inspire others to participate in the stewardship of our forests and woodlands.
2017 Winners: Fiona Ammerman, fourth grade student at Katahdin Elementary School nominated by Marie Robinson, Principal; Lee Academy Service Learning Team, Lee, nominated by Pat Maloney of Project Learning Tree; and the Piscataquis Community Secondary School’s 9th and 10th Grade Environmental Science Class, nominated by Joanna Tarrazi, Executive Director, on behalf of the Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors & Staff.
Past Winners: Mathias Deming, Winthrop, nominated by Jill Ippoliti on behalf of the Friends of Baxter State Park; Breaux Higgins, Bar Harbor, nominated by Charles Jacobi and Moira O’Neill of Acadia National Park; The Katahdin Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, nominated by Jim Robbins; Rangeley Region Guides & Sportsmen’s Association, Rangeley, nominated by Bill Pierce of the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum, Rangeley; and the Massabesic Middle School’s 7th grade Aroostook Team, East Waterboro, nominated by Christine Voyer, Molly Auclair and Caroline Casals of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
Qualifications for the award:
- Must involve activities within Maine
- Individual Applicants: Must be age 10 through High School (applicants older than 18 are acceptable if still attending High School)
- Youth Organization Applicants: Youth organizations whose conservation projects primarily involve youths of these ages. Note: Nomination and recommendation letters must relate directly to the organization, or a program sponsored by the organization, rather than for individual adult leaders.
The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2018. Maine Woods Forever will announce the recipients at the April 2018 Roundtable.
Information about the award, past winners and application details are provided on the Maine Woods Forever Website (www.mainewoodsforever.org).
