2008 National Arbor Day Awards

Rachel Carson Award

Long Island Nature Collaborative for Kids

Long Island Nature Collaborative for Kids of Long Island, NY, will receive the Rachel Carson Award for providing nature education opportunities for children and families. The Long Island Nature Collaborative for Kids (LINCK) includes architects, early child educators, environmental educators, health professionals and others. Its goal is to educate the community about the importance of making nature part of the daily lives of children, to foster collaboration and support, and to inspire people to create nature-rich leaning environments. LINCK was formed by Dana Friedman as an outcome of the 2006 Working Forum on Nature Education for Children. The work of the group has resulted in creating outdoor classrooms at the Bailey Arboretum in Long Island and the National Headquarters for the Family Place Library Systems in Centereach, NY.

This year’s winners are:

• Lifetime Stewardship Award

  • Dr. Peter Raven of St. Louis, MO

• Frederick Law Olmsted Award

  • Buck Abbey of Baton Rouge, LA

• Caroline French Morton Award

  • Jeunesse Park of Johannesburg, South Africa

• Lawrence Enersen Award

  • Debbie Mendelson of Woodside, CA

• Lady Bird Johnson Award

  • Green Streets for Omaha, NE

• Rachel Carson Award

  • Long Island Nature Collaborative for Kids of Long Island, NY

• Good Steward Award

  • Kurt Berger of Sugar Grove, PA
  • Johney Haralson of Denmark, SC
  • The Ziolkowski Family of Crazy Horse, SD

• Project Award

  • The City of Buffalo and Re-Tree Western New York of Buffalo, NY
  • Johnson City Housing Authority of Johnson City, TN
  • Rain to Recreation of Lenexa, KS
  • The USDA Forest Service Living Memorials Project of Newtown Square, PA

• Education Award

  • The Forest Where Ashley Lives by Mark and Ashley Vitosh of Ames, IA

• Media Award

  • If I Were a Tree by Dar Hosta of Flemington, NJ

• Celebration Award

  • Eastside Elementary School of Clewiston, FL

• Promise to the Earth Award

  • Doubletree Hotels
  • Home Depot Foundation