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the The John Muir Conservation Award
John Muir advocated the protection of places with spectacular beauty and wildness. His passion for the outdoors, for his beloved wild places, inspired others to value a connection with nature. Muir’s words and actions have motivated new generations all over the world to continue his work. To recognize and encourage those who do, each year the John Muir Association acknowledges individuals, groups, or organizations for their environmental advocacy, restoration, protection, or conservation efforts.
Nominations for the 2009 award are now open. Nominations may be submitted until September 26, 2009. Please see the Home page for all nomination forms.
The award will be presented at the John Muir Conservation Award Celebration on November 7, 2009. The Celebration will take place at the Campbell Theatre in Martinez, California. All winners of the awards will be notified before the Celebration.
We invite everyone to mark your calendars and plan to join us for this inspiring event. Check this website in the fall for more detail.
Here are the awardees since 1978:
- 2008 -
Amy Meyer, Conservationist of the Year
Amy Meyer was one of the founders of People for a Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which led to the Congressional authorization of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1972. She has mobilized thousands of citizens and myriad groups to support the establishment of the GGNRA - Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Business Conservation Award
PG&E received the award for its Environmental Stewardship Program. The company has forged a number of partnerships to permanently protect open space, fund projects at California parks, conserve and enhance habitat, and other endeavors. - John Muir’s Birthplace, Environmental Education Conservation Award
John Muir’s Birthplace in Dunbar, Scotland was established as a visitor education center and much more. Birthplace staff work to provide visitors and community members with an increased environmental awareness by inspiring them to follow in John Muir’s footsteps, care for the environment and practice sustainable living. - Brett Plater, Environmental Education Conservation Award
Brett Plater founded and directed the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Endangered Species Big Year in 2007-2008. This innovative, hands-on program raised awareness and appreciation for the large concentrations of endangered species within the GGNRA.
- 2007 - This year, we presented the John Muir Conservation Award in
each of four categories:
- Lennie Roberts was the Conservationist
of the Year for her work as the San Mateo
County Advocate for the Committee for
Green Foothills. - Bank of America received the Business
Conservation Award for its 10-year
environmental initiative. - GreenInfo Network won the Nonprofit
Conservation Award for its work providing
high-quality GIS mapping and
analytical services to public agencies
and nonprofit organizations. - Rona Zollinger, founder of the Environmental
Studies Academy (ESA), was
awarded the Environmental Education
Conservation Award. ESA is an innovative
program serving high school youth in Martinez.
- Lennie Roberts was the Conservationist
- 2006 - Dr. Bonnie Gisel - For the last five years,
Dr Gisel has been the Curator of
the Sierra Club Le
Conte Memorial Lodge. According to our 1996 award recipient, she
has energized the 100-year-old building into “a vibrant place that
engages Yosemite visitors in ways that no other facility in the National
Park does, in a way that John Muir would most definitely approve.” Dr
Gisel has written a book about John Muir and Jean Carr’s long friendship: Kindred
and Related Spirits. It shows how both of them grew and developed
and deepened their love of the wonder of the world. As “Doctor
Nature,” Bonnie comes to the John
Muir Mountain Day Camp and as Jill Harcke says, “weaves her
own web of life’s enthusiasm around and among the campers in a
way that has a lasting effect.” Dr. Gisel organized the 2001 John
Muir: Family and Friends and Adventure conference, sponsored by the
University of the Pacific. In this conference, participants actually
got out and walked in some of Muir’s tracks, as well as attended
seminars and discussions. Bonnie Gisel has said, “I want to instill
in others a wonder of the world and an appreciation of the world so it
becomes part of our daily breathing." Bonnie Gisel can sure “talk
the talk” AND she also “walks the walk.” She lives
very simply - she lives in a tent for five months a year, and so do her
volunteers at LeConte Memorial Lodge. Dr. Gisel did not set out to “walk
in Muir’s footsteps.” Yet, in her own way, on her own terms,
her own words, her own philosophy, her life has a resonance and an convergence
with John Muir.
- Read Igor Skaredoff's Introduction of Dr. Gisel
- Read Dr. Gisel's acceptance speech, "Nature's Universal Abounding Glory"
- 2005 - Igor and Shirley Skaredoff - Recognizing their contributions in the restoration of Alhambra Creek through downtown Martinez and beyond. They are leaders in the group, Friends of Alhambra Creek. He and his wife Shirley lead the annual Alhambra Creek clean-up days and are the first to take groups of all ages into the creek and along the Carquinez Strait. Mr. Skaredoff is also active in the broader Watershed Forum, bringing leadership and strong representation to that group. He has been personally involved in mapping sections of the regional watershed and takes regular water samples from the creek to test temperature and salinity for the restoration of steelhead trout upstream. In addition to his work with the Alhambra Creek Restoration and Environmental Education Collaborative (ACREEC), Mr. Skaredoff has been in many classrooms throughout the District presenting lectures and demonstrations. He has been a creative partner in grant-writing, PowerPoint presentations, and public forums. His self-effacing and easy-going manner has encouraged participation by many people who would not otherwise have gotten involved. .
- 2004 - Garrett Burke - Concept Designer for the John Muir-Yosemite design for the California State Quarter.
- 2003 - Diana Granados - for her work at the Lindsey Wildlife Museum.
- 2002 - Mike and Cecil Williams - Owners of the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Pleasant Hill, for educating Bay Area residents about the value and importance of backyard wildlife habitat.
- 2001 - Vacaville Mayor David Fleming, Vacaville City Manager John Thompson, recent Dixon Mayor Don Erickson and previous Dixon City Manager David Harris - for efforts resulting in a Northern California Interstate 80 greenbelt preserving farmland against urban growth.
- 2000 - Seth Adams - For Efforts with Save Mount Diablo
- 1999 - Gary Bogue - for contributions about Muir and the environment as outdoor writer for the Contra Costa Times
- 1998 - B. "Moose" Peterson - For wildlife photography promoting conservation.
- 1997 - Richard F. Dale - Sonoma Ecology Center.
- 1996 - Harold Wood - For efforts establishing John Muir Day, the John Muir Day Study Guide, the John Muir Exhibit Internet Website, and the Sierra Club John Muir Education Project.
- 1995 - Justice Wakefield Taylor - A founder of the John Muir Memorial Association who has been active in the group for many years.
- 1994 - Christina N. Batt, for her preservation efforts through the Martinez Land Trust - now called the Muir Heritage Land Trust.
- 1993 - Phillip Berry and Michelle Perrault for their numreous outstanding environmental protection efforts through the Sierra Club.
- 1992 - Susan Watson and her late husband Bob Watson - President of Save Mount Diablo and coordinator of the Technical Advisory Commmittee for Lassen Volcanic Park and Forest.
- 1991 - Al B. McNabney, Vice- President and Conservation Chair of Mt. Diablo Chapter of the Audubon Society.
- 1990 - William and Geneviebe Sattler - Co-founders of Save Mount Diablo and active in the County Park Council in the 1960s.
- 1989 - Representative George Miller - Outstanding environmental leader in Congress.
- 1988 - William Penn Mott, Jr. - Honored for his accomplishments as Director of the U.s. National Park Service, and as long time director of the California State Park System.
- 1987 - Jean Richmond - volunteer naturalist for Mt. Diablo Chapter of the Audubon Society, and author of Birding Northern California.
- 1987 - Special Lifetime conservation Award - John Davis - past Association president and active Muir House volunteer, and author of book on natural history walks of Martinez Area
- 1986 - Nancy Fahden, a Contra Costa County members of the Board of Supervisors, for her efforts in revitalization of Martinez waterfront.
- 1985 - Louis and Mildren Stein - for work in purchasing and restoring the Martinez Adobe, part of the John Muir National Historic Site
- 1984 - Henry and Faire Saxe - for acquiring (in 1955), preserving, and restoring the Muir home, and arousing public interest in establishing it as a National Historic Site.
- 1983 - John Nejedly, state legislator, for his efforts in protecting Mount Diablo.
- 1982 - Al and Mary Burton - long-time leaders in establishing a county park program for Contra Costa County, including organizing the Contra Costa Park Council and addition of county parks to the East Bay Regional Park District.
- 1981 - Hulet Hornbeck, for his accomplishments in adding lands for parks in the East Bay Regional Parks District.
- 1980 - Mary L. Bowerman - author of Flowering Plants and Ferns of Mount Diablo and active in Sierra Club, Audubon Society, and California Native Plant Society.
- 1979 - Dr. Edgar Wayburn - past President of the Sierra Club who has saved millions of acres of wilderness in Alaska and many California parklands.
- 1978 - Marshall Kuhn, for his contributions through the local Sierra Club chapter . This year, the program speaker was Conrad Knoll of Berkeley on "A Study of Glaciers: Why were they so fascinating to John Muir?"
John Muir Association (JMA)
P.O. Box 2433
Martinez, CA 9455
Phone: (925) 229-3857
email: info@johnmuirassociation.org
info@johnmuirassociation.org