(Washington, DC) — The seven winners of the 2009 National Wetlands Awards will be recognized at an evening ceremony on May 12, 2009, at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC. The ceremony will be open to the press and public, and marks the 20th anniversary of the Awards program. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) will deliver the keynote address.
The winners of the National Wetlands Awards demonstrate how citizens and communities can—and do—make a difference. “Congratulations to these individuals, who exemplify the finest in wetland stewardship across the country,” said Michael Shapiro, Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Their tireless efforts to restore and protect these increasingly vital and threatened resources qualify them as true heroes. As we work together to reverse dramatic losses and advance the quantity and quality of our nation's wetlands, these winners inspire and sustain us.”
The National Wetlands Awards are given to individuals and families who make significant contributions to protecting and enhancing these essential natural resources. Awardees are selected by a diverse group of wetland professionals from around the country. he Awards program is administered by the Environmental Law Institute and is supported by a consortium of government agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Highway Administration, and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service.
The Honorary Congressional Co-Sponsors of the ceremony are Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA); and Representative Fred Upton (R-MI).
The ceremony will take place at 6 pm on May 12 in the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building. Photographs will be available for free download from www.nationalwetlandsawards.org on May 15. For more information about the ceremony or the National Wetlands Awards, contact Brett Kitchen at kitchen@eli.org or 202.939.3833 or visit our Web site.
2009 National Wetlands Awards Winners
AWARD FOR EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Susan Vincent, New York, New York
Ms. Susan Vincent is a high school science teacher at The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem in New York City. In addition to integrating the study of wetlands, both in theory and practice, into her senior marine science course, Ms. Vincent has also taught her students to write grants and conduct research in the field in collaboration with university scientists. She has taken her students to local marshes and to the Mississippi River Delta in southern Louisiana to teach experimental design, data collection, statistical analysis, and written communication skills. Vincent and her students have an ongoing research project at Piermont Marsh north of New York City, the results of which are being provided to several National Science Foundation projects.
AWARD FOR SCIENCE RESEARCH
Carol Johnston, Brookings, South Dakota
Dr. Carol Johnston, who has worked in the field of wetland science for over 35 years, recently led the Wetland Vegetation group for the EPA-funded “Great Lakes Environmental Indicators” project. By identifying vegetative indicators of conditions of Great Lakes coastal wetlands and developing relationships between environmental stressors and these indicators, Johnston provided managers with much needed information. She has also developed an index embraced by the Wisconsin Coastal Zone Management Program. The first female President of the Society of Wetland Scientists and a former Director of the Ecosystem Studies Program at the National Science Foundation, Johnston is currently examining the effects of climate change on how wetlands supply dissolved organic carbon, which protects aquatic organisms from damaging UV radiation.
AWARD FOR CONSERVATION & RESTORATION
Peter Bahls, Port Townsend, Washington
Aquatic ecologist, Mr. P