Open Call for Environmental Stewards Due April 1

Heralding its fifth year for Open Call Environmental Hero Nominees, Explore Ecology is inviting everyone to submit their nominations for 2024 by April 1via the online form.

I reached out to Explore Ecology’s PR Director Jill Cloutier, about this year’s awards and the importance of it for the organization. She explained, “We are thrilled to launch the nominations for this year’s Explore Ecology Awards. Our annual awards recognize environmental heroes who make a difference in Santa Barbara County. We invite community members to get their nominations in by the deadline to ensure that these local environmental champions are honored! Their dedication and passion serve as inspiration for all of us to do our part in protecting our beautiful planet.”

Feel free to submit as many nominees as you wish, and yes you can include yourself! 

Nominees are students and teachers who are dedicated environmental stewards, who speak for the plants and animals, and have made a difference in a school, a classroom, or in our community.

You will need your nominee’s name, grade, school, contact phone number and email. The form asks you to describe your nominee in three words, why you feel your nominee is a dedicated Environmental Steward, and how they benefit the environment and/or our community. Categories are:

Teacher or School Staff Award: Recognizing educators and staff who inspire environmental awareness and action. One award for grades K to 6, and one award for grades 7 to 12.

Class or Club Award: One award honoring a class or school club in grades K through 12 that makes a positive impact on the environment. 

Student Award: For students who have committed their time to care for the environment in a significant way. One award for grades K to 6, and one award for grades 7 to 12.

Winners will be announced and honored at the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival on April 28th.

The 2023 winners were Student Award – Theo Horne, who is a school gardener at La Colina School 8th grade; Teacher Award – Melissa Wilder who teaches Science, and Environmental Electives to 6th to 8th graders at the Riviera Ridge School; Class and Club Award – The Green Team at Coastline Christian Academy started by 8th grade student Isaac Yishak and staffed by teacher Annie Villa with an Environmental Advocacy Class; and School Support Staff Award – Maureen Granger, gardening at La Colina School.

411: https://exploreecology.org/environmental-stewardship-awards/