Working for Wildlife: Celebrating America’s Conservation Leaders

As the National Wildlife Federation’s 51 affiliate organizations come together for our annual meeting to chart a new path for the organization’s future, we are recognizing people from across the country who have made significant contributions to wildlife conservation. These National Conservation Achievement Award winners represent the best of the Federation’s conservation ethic; these dedicated individuals give their time for wildlife and wild places in ways big and small.

AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR: ENVIRONMENTAL LEAGUE OF MASSACHUSETTS 

ENVIRONMENTAL LEAGUE OF MASSACHUSETTS

As the Commonwealth’s leading environmental advocate, Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) is a tireless supporter of clean energy, habitat protect, and land preservation. In 2016, ELM worked hand-in-hand with the National Wildlife Federation to champion a state bill committing the Commonwealth to generate at least 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind power and launching the largest offshore wind industry in the nation. The work ELM and its partners have done in support of offshore wind power serves as a model for other states across the country. Read More 

AFFILIATE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD: LILLIAN PIPPING

LILLIAN PIPPING

Lillian Pipping has spent decades giving her time and talents to conservation. Under her leadership, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation started the Conservation Leadership Corps, which works to cultivate the next generation of conservationists. In 2005, Lil and others formed the Friends of Broughton Sheboygan Marsh to protect 14,000 acres of important wildlife habitat in the Sheboygan River watershed and she remains its president. She also started the Sharing the Spirit program, a way for sportspeople to help the elderly in the county and Hunters against Hunger, a program that helps hunters donate venison to food pantries. In everything she does, Lil leads by example. Read More

YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: DAVID CALANDRO

DAVID CALANDRO

David Calandro serves on the Conservation Federation of Missouri’s board of directors, and he founded the Missouri Collegiate Conservation Alliance, a program aimed at engaging college students in conservation efforts across Missouri. David recently graduated from the University of Missouri- Columbia with a double major in forestry and wildlife management while completing six years of service with the Army National Guard as a helicopter mechanic. Currently, David works for the United States Department of Agriculture, protecting Mead’s milkweed and Hine’s emerald dragonfly habitat from feral swine. With his boundless energy and dedication, David is already making a real difference and leaving a lasting impact on others. Read More

CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP AWARD: RICHARD MODE

RICHARD MODE. Photo Credit: Tony Robinson

Love of the outdoors and an unwavering commitment to the conservation of our natural resources is what has driven Richard Mode to spend the last three decades mobilizing other outdoor enthusiasts into a powerful force that has impacted local, state, and federal management decisions and legislation. For over two decades Richard has served as the North Carolina Wildlife Federation representative to the National Wildlife Federation; he is well-known for his collaborative spirit and his infectious, positive attitude. Richard’s decades of work on behalf of clean water, trout habitat, and vibrant forests has made a measurable impact on the wildlife resources of the Southeast. Read More

CHARLIE SHAW CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP AWARD – AFFILIATE: ANGIE ROSSER

ANGIE ROSSER

When 2014’s chemical spill occurred on the Elk River in West Virginia, Angie Rosser and the West Virginia Rivers Coalition were there to bring voice to the hundreds of thousands of people without drinking water. Angie works to protect the six rivers within the Monongahela National Forest which provide drinking water for millions of Americans. Under her leadership, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition has broadened its reach and impact at both the state and federal levels. Angie works to create partnerships on conservation issues with leaders from across the country, but it’s her deep passion for the work that inspires others in the Federation, its affiliates and beyond. Read More

CHARLIE SHAW CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP AWARD – NWF STAFF: JIM LYON

JIM LYON

As vice president for conservation policy for the National Wildlife Federation, Jim Lyon is instrumental in developing and implementing strategies to help the Federation achieve its goals. Throughout his two decades with the Federation, Jim has led the charge on a host of issues, including the Gulf oil spill, climate change, conservation funding, Everglades restoration, public lands protections, and defending laws like the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Jim has spent the past decades expertly working to bring affiliate and Federation priorities to the fore with policymakers, elected officials, and the media. Read More

 

The honorees of the Conservation Achievement Awards were celebrated on June 10, 2017.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AWARDS


2018 NWF ANNUAL MEETING AWARD NOMINATIONS

You know one.

A conservation hero.  All across America people and organizations inspire us to protect wildlife for our children’s future. They commit their time and energy not for the credit, but for the results. They recognize, as J.N. “Ding” Darling did at the founding of the National Wildlife Federation in 1936, that if our natural resources vanish, our “prosperity, standards of living, and happiness among our people will vanish with them.”

Questions about NWF Annual Meeting Awards may be directed to AnnualMeetingAwards@nwf.org or contact your NWF Regional Representative.