2009 National Arbor Day Awards

Rachel Carson Award

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is being honored for encouraging young people to spend time with nature. One way the Service is doing this is through its Connecting People with Nature program. The goal of the program is to inspire and build outdoor learning spaces at schools and in local neighborhoods across the U.S. The Service is developing Nature Explore Classrooms at national wildlife refuges and at its National Conservation Training Center in Shepardstown, W. Va.

World Forum Foundation

The World Forum Foundation is encouraging a global exchange of ideas to improve the quality of life for all children. To address the challenges facing children today, the Foundation organized the 2006 Working Forum on Nature Education, and launched the global Nature Action Collaborative for Children. Two years later, the Working Forum met again to share success stories and teach members from six continents new ways to make positive connections with nature for children. As a result, thousands of architects and landscape architects, community planners, early childhood educators, environmental educators and activists and health specialists from more than 30 nations are members of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children.

This year’s winners are:

• Frederick Law Olmsted Award

  • Robert Thibodeaux of Church Point, LA

• Lawrence Enersen Award

  • Michael Hardy of Philadelphia, PA

• Lady Bird Johnson Award

  • The Streetscape Program of Fort Myers Beach, FL

• Rachel Carson Award

  • World Forum Foundation

• Good Steward Award

  • Blue Valley Ranch of Kremmling, CO

• Project Award

  • The Village of Wilmette, IL
  • Reforest the Bluegrass of Lexington, KY
  • Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association of Fayetteville, AK
  • The Hardwood Forestry Fund of Reston, VA
  • Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Inc.

• Education Award

  • Tahoma High School's Outdoor Academy of Kent, WA
  • The Kirkwood Junior TreeKeepers of Kirkwood, MO

• Media Award

  • Louisiana Public Broadcasting's documentary Return to the Forest Where We Live
  • The International Society of Arboriculture's interactive “Planting and Early Care” series
  • The Wild Trees, written by Richard Preston

• Celebration Award

  • The City of Minneapolis, MN
  • City of Olympia, WA

• Promise to the Earth Award

  • Allstate Insurance Company
  • Citi Cards