Award Description
Honors volunteers who have dedicated significant time and effort into the conscientious stewardship of protected natural areas or environmentally-responsible trail construction and education. They embody our value that the right path is always a responsible one.
Dr. Joan Ehrenfeld, a professor of Ecology at Rutgers, was an expert on invasive species, wetlands ecology, and urban ecology. She helped found the Trail Conference’s invasive species efforts and brought an environmental science focus to trail management.
Guidelines for Nominees
- Made significant contributions and efforts that embody the corresponding Trail Conference value: “The right path is always a responsible one. We take land stewardship seriously and approach every decision—whether we’re out in the field or in our headquarters—with balanced judgment and firm conscience.”
- Has played a significant role in environmentally-responsible education, a land stewardship project on already-protected lands, a sustainable trail construction project, or other efforts embodying responsible stewardship of protected lands.
- Is someone who goes above and beyond to develop solutions for protecting the environment and incorporates science into thoughtful management and practices of stewardship for the trails and land.
- Volunteered with the Trail Conference for at least a few years
- Has been actively involved within the last three years
- May nominate multiple people together if they were all instrumental parts of the accomplishment you are nominating them for
- Note: Those who have previously been given this award are not eligible.