2007 National Arbor Day Awards

The Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert of Milwaukee, and TREE: A New Vision of the American Forest, by James Balog of Boulder, Colo., will be presented with the Media Award. The Media Award is given in recognition of the power of the media to capture the imagination of the public.

Ehlert’s The Leaf Man is a collection of leaves she found during her travels across the country. The book contains die-cut offerings of various leaves, and the author takes the reader on a journey of where the leaves may have traveled by the wind.

Chuck Leavell, the keyboardist for the Rolling Stones, is one of three recipients of the Media Award, given in recognition of the power of the media to capture the imagination of the public. Leavell, who has spent more than 20 years with the Rolling Stones and is often referred to as the sixth member of the band, will be honored for authoring, along with Nicholas Cravotta, The Tree Farmer. The storybook is about the vital role trees play in our everyday lives told from the perspective of a grandfather to his young grandson.

TREE: A New Vision of the American Forest is a celebration of state and national champion species. Balog, an acclaimed photographer, climbed atop neighboring trees to capture species of some of the nation’s best and oldest trees.

This year's winners are:

• Lifetime Stewardship Award

  • Sebastian Chuwa, Moshi, Tanzania

• Frederick Law Olmsted Award

  • Ray Tretheway, Sacramento, California

• Caroline French Morton Award

  • Ruth A. Wilson, Bowling Green, Ohio

• Lawrence Enersen Award

  • Majora Carter, Bronx, New York

• Good Steward Award

  • James Huff, Taylorsville, Mississippi
  • Bob & Margaret Kintigh, Springfield, Oregon
  • Steve Woodard, Cottage Grove, Oregon

• Project Award

  • Mississippi Audubon, Moss Point, Mississippi
  • NFL Environmental Program, Warwick, Rhode Island
  • Planting for Growth, Weed, California
  • Sycamore Land Trust, Bloomington, Indiana

• Education Award

  • Earl & Wanda Barrs, Buckley County, Georgia
  • City of Kent Youth Tree Education Program, Kent, Washington
  • Tree Amigos 4H Club, Anniston, Alabama

• Media Award

  • Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • The Tree Farmer by Chuck Leavell & Nicholas Cravotta, Macon, Georgia
  • TREE: A New Vision of the American Forest by James Balog, Boulder, Colorado

• Celebration Award

  • TREEmendous Arbor Day, Arapahoe, Nebraska

• Promise to the Earth Award

  • Enterprise Rent-a-Car
  • Home Depot Foundation

Award winners are recognized for their leadership in the cause of tree planting, conservation,and environmental stewardship.

Leaders in tree planting, conservation, and environmental stewardship from around the country and world are honored each year at our annual Arbor Day Awards celebration held in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The awards ceremony is part of the annual Arbor Day weekend celebration held at Lied Lodge & Conference Center.