Launched in 1998, the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Annual Awards Program recognizes awardees each year for a variety of environmental leadership roles and achievements. The Chesapeake Bay Trust will announce the recipients of its 2019 Awards and Scholarship Program at a ceremony held in the Maryland General Assembly this evening. During the event, more than 150 environmental leaders and Maryland legislators will come together to honor seven exceptional individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to environmental education, watershed restoration, and volunteerism.
“Through our work at the Trust, we encounter so many dedicated individuals and organizations who are making an impressive effort on behalf of our natural resources,” said Jana Davis, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “It is our pleasure to celebrate some of them tonight and to shine a light on their work to make our communities cleaner, greener, and healthier.”
Awards are made each year to two students for environmental and community leadership, one educator for excellence in environmental education, one business for green efforts, one organization for a notable watershed stewardship project, and one community leader or volunteer who routinely goes above and beyond in improving the streams, rivers, parks, forests, and other natural resources within our watershed. This year, in addition to these annual awards, the Trust will present the Torrey Brown Award to Senator John C. Astle for his fervent dedication to environmental causes and his steadfast commitment to the Trust as a member of its Board of Trustees. Notably, Senator Astle was instrumental in the establishment of the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, an early career and green jobs training program managed by the Trust, in 2010.
“It is an honor to be among the distinguished recipients who have received this award,” said Senator Astle, “It has been a pleasure to collaborate with the Trust over the years and I am proud of the strides we have made on behalf of our natural resources, our communities, and the young people of our region.”
Chesapeake Bay Trust’s 2019 Award Winners
2019 Torrey Brown Award: The Honorable John C. Astle
Maryland Senate, Anne Arundel County
The Torrey Brown Award is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the Trust and its mission to preserve and protect our region’s natural resources. Senator Astle is being presented with the Torrey Brown Award for his tireless championing of the Chesapeake Bay Trust for sixteen years as the Senate liaison to the Trust’s Board of Trustees. John’s commitment to the Trust has been essential to its success over the years, helping to strengthen and protect the Chesapeake vehicle license plate while expanding the Trust’s ability to provide resources to communities and organizations working to improve our beloved natural resources. Along with Senate President Mike V. Miller, John played a key role in the establishment of the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, a green jobs development program managed by the Trust. Approaching its tenth year, the Chesapeake Conservation Corps has more than 200 alumni, many of whom are now leaders in the environmental field throughout the Chesapeake watershed. John’s legacy at the Trust is that of steadfast champion. The Trust is a better organization because of his leadership and support.
2019 Ellen Fraites Wagner Award: Stuart Clarke
Executive Director, Town Creek Foundation, Talbot County
Ellen Fraites Wagner, a colleague of Governor Harry Hughes, helped establish the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and this award, named in her honor, recognizes a natural resources leader who works or volunteers to motivate and inspire others by promoting environmental awareness. Stuart Clarke, in his role as Executive Director of the Town Creek Foundation since October of 2004, has revolutionized the way many individuals in the Chesapeake natural resources community approach issues, delve into topics, and work together. Through his targeting of resources and convening of thought leaders, he has challenged the community to be smarter, work harder, and be more strategic. Through his leadership, other leaders in the natural resource space have learned how to connect climate, water, food security, and other issues and therefore how to expand the work in those realms. An influential member of the Trust’s board for eight years, Clarke’s leadership truly has changed the way almost every other foundation operating in our region (and beyond) approaches their grant-making.
2019 Student of the Year Scholarship: Nicholas Kophengnavong
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore City
Nicholas Kophengnavong is a junior at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and has been actively involved in the environmental movement from a young age, joining the Green Team at Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School at age eight. He was a member of Baltimore Office of Sustainability’s (BOS) first Student Environmental Leadership Action Team (SELAT) and as a sophomore was accepted into BOS’s Youth Environmental Internship program. Since then, he is an active member of Baltimore Beyond Plastic, a youth-led action-oriented team with the goal of reducing plastic pollution in Baltimore which was instrumental in the passage of a citywide Styrofoam ban in April 2018.
2019 The Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship: Maleah Smith
Huntingtown High School, Calvert County
This award was named after Senator Arthur Dorman, Trust board member and pioneer in efforts to engage individuals of color in natural resources issues, and is awarded to a student of color who is active in connecting environment and community issues. This year’s awardee, Maleah Smith, is a senior at Huntingtown High School in Calvert County. As a varsity basketball player and track athlete, Maleah was acutely aware of an environmental issue at her school: plastic water bottle waste. Last year, she spearheaded an initiative to cut down on plastic water bottle waste in the Calvert County Public School system, successfully proposing the installation of drinking fountains with water bottle refilling stations to the county Board of Education. As a result of her efforts, water bottle refilling stations have been placed in the Board of Education building and all four county high schools, with plans to add more to the middle and elementary schools. To date over 50,000 plastic water bottles have stayed out of the landfill and students are more aware of the harmful effects of disposable plastic waste. In addition to her leadership as a student athlete, Maleah is active in the Student Government Association, a member of the National Honor Society, a peer-to-peer tutor with Transitioning to Excellence, and a volunteer with the Sierra Club.
2019 Educator of the Year: Kimberly P. Tucker, PhD
Director, Stevenson University Center for Environmental Stewardship; Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, Baltimore County
The Environmental Educator of the Year is awarded to a K-12 or college educator who has shown an outstanding commitment to environmental education. Dr. Kimberly Pause Tucker’s research with students focuses on various topics in molecular ecology. Her teaching responsibilities at Stevenson University include Evolution, Conservation Biology, and Diversity of Life. She is passionate about education and has dedicated much of her career to STEM and environmental outreach. Since 2012, she has directed an annual STEM career day for middle school girls called Expanding Your Horizons, directed a summer science camp for middle school children for five years, and was also part of the small team on the Steering Committee who developed the inaugural Maryland STEM Festival (2015). In her role as the founding Director of the Stevenson University Center for Environmental Stewardship, she hosts environmental service projects, such as stream cleanups, invasive plant removal projects, and more. Dr. Tucker’s work is nurturing the next generation of environmental stewards and is an inspiration to both her students and her colleagues.
2019 Commercial Stewards Award: Irish Restaurant Company
Anne Arundel County
This award, established to honor previous Chairpersons of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, recognizes an outstanding corporate or commercial entity that strives to make a difference in the community, has made a significant contribution to natural resource restoration and protection in the Chesapeake region, and engages its employees and members of the community in environmental issues. The Irish Restaurant Company is known throughout the region for their family of beloved restaurants, including Galway Bay in Annapolis; Killarney House in Davidsonville; Brian Boru in Severna Park; and Pirate’s Cove, their newest addition on the West River in Galesville. Since the founding of their first restaurant in 1998, owners Anthony Clarke and Michael Galway have also earned a reputation for their commitment to the environment, their community, and to promoting green practices in their businesses. They strive to reduce their carbon footprint through numerous initiatives, including nearly eliminating plastic used in the service and packaging of products and menu items; limiting the use of drinking straws to only those who really need them; introducing water saving practices through low flow sprayers and efficient water heaters, and more. The Killarney House property is a showcase for their environmental ethos, featuring solar panels (both thermal and PV applications) and a large-scale stormwater practice, funded in part through a Trust grant program, which prevents substantial polluted runoff from reaching Beards Creek.
2019 Melanie Teems Award: Frederick Food Security Network
Frederick County
Named after the longest-serving staff member of the Trust, this award recognizes an exemplary project or program that engages residents in efforts to improve the region’s natural resources, serving as a model for other organizations. Frederick Food Security Network is a program of the Hood College Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies that takes an innovative approach to addressing urgent environmental and community challenges that represent the best of creative problem solving and community collaboration. By working with community partners to establish a network of “vegetable rain gardens” in Frederick, they are improving food security for residents of local food deserts, reducing local water pollution by diverting rooftop runoff for use as irrigation, and promoting better eating habits and environmental stewardship in the Frederick community.
For more information on the Chesapeake Bay Trust, visit www.cbtrust.org.
