About the Awards | Past Award Winners

About the Awards

The New England Environmental Education Alliance recognizes outstanding environmental educators and programs from the New England region in three categories:

• Non-formal Environmental Educator
• Formal Environmental Educator
• Environmental Program

To Nominate

Applications may be submitted either by the nominee or on his/her behalf by a colleague. To apply for yourself or a colleague please download the application in Microsoft Word, fill it out and email it as an attachment to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by September 1^st of each year.

Selection Criteria

The Non-formal Environmental Educator Award is designed to recognize environmental education professionals who work outside the formal classroom setting. The award recipient:

• Makes continuous and enduring contributions to environmental education (EE);
• Demonstrates capacity for creating and implementing successful EE activities;
• Creatively and innovatively approaches EE programming;
• Involves him or herself personally in the state and/or regional EE community;
• Contributes to EE by integrating with formal education systems, promoting the environmental education profession or providing training or resources to other EE professionals.

The Formal Environmental Educator Award is designed to recognize a public or private school classroom teacher who:

• Promotes individual and societal environmental responsibility;
• Encourages students to make informed decisions about environmental issues;
• Inspires student involvement and action through individual or group projects to effect positive environmental change at school or within the local community;
• Links student learning to the appropriate state or national science benchmarks, curriculum frameworks, or standards;
• Serves as an example for colleagues to engage in EE activities or to participate in school EE projects.

The Maria Pirie Environmental Program Award is designed to recognize an outstanding environmental education program that:

• Demonstrates innovation and creativity;
• Has been implemented broadly;
• Easily can be replicated in other regions;
• Is sustainable;
• Has a strong evaluation component;
• Results in demonstrated action by participants.

The Selection Process

All materials are due by September 1^st of each year. All applicants will be notified following the final selection. Awards are presented at the NEEEA Annual Conference. In 2012, awards will be presented at NEEEA’s fall gathering. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact:

Ruth Smith, NEEEA Awards Chair

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Past Award Recipients

For over 20 years, NEEEA has been recognizing excellence in environmental education. The following is a listing of past award recipients by year. The state listed next to each year was the location of that year’s annual conference.

2010 - Vermont

Formal Educator Award – Judy Filkins, Lebanon NH School District
Non-formal Educator Award – Kim Noyes, Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center, MA

2009 - Connecticut

Non-formal Educator Award – Susan Cox, US Forest Service, Durham, NH
Maria Pirie Program Award – Nature's Classroom, Charlton MA

2008 - New Hampshire

Formal Educator Award – Katherine Bennett, J.R. Briggs Elementary School, Ashburnham, MA
Maria Pirie Program Award – Ashuelot Valley Environmental Observatory, Keene, NH

2007 - Maine

Formal Educator Award – Michele ('Chele) Miller, Principal, Moultonborough Central School, Moultonborough, NH
Non-formal Educator Award – Marilyn Wyzga, Wildlife Educator, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
Marie Pirie Program Award – Seeds of Solidarity Education Center, Orange, Massachusetts

2006 - Rhode Island

Formal Educator Award – Dr. Ralph J. Yulo, Professor Emeritus at Eastern Connecticut State University
Non-formal Educator Award – Ruth Smith, Naturalist at the Mt. Kearsage Indian Museum, Warner, New Hampshire
Marie Pirie Program Award – Project CO-SEED, Keene, New Hampshire.
Richard Haley President's Award – Awarded posthumously to Richard Haley for his 20-year contribution to the field.

2005 - Massachusetts

Formal Educator Award – Jonathan Twining, 7th grade science at Remington Middle School, Smithfield, Rhode Island
Non-formal Educator Award – Erin Walsh, Naturalist Educator at the New England Wildflower Society
Marie Pirie Program Award – Valley Quest Program, Steven Glazer, Program Coordinator
2005 President's Award – Jim Lafley, in honor of his many years of dedicated service to NEEEA and to environmental education throughout New England. Jim is a past president of NEEEA and of MEES, and has co-chaired NEEEA's annual conference.

2004 - Vermont

Formal Educator Award – Cynthia Faughnan, Michael Quinn & Rick Schluntz, Hartford (Vermont) Middle School (k-12); Cindy Thomashow, Antioch (university/adult)
Non-formal Educator Award – Barry King
Marie Pirie Program Award – Keeping Track

2003 - Connecticut

Non-formal Educator Aard – co-recipients: Jennifer Guarino, Vermont and Cheryl Burke, Connecticut
Marie Pirie Program Award – Community Mapping Program, VINS
President's Award – Judy Silverberg, NHFG

2002 - New Hampshire

Formal Educator Award – Brewster Bartlett
Non-formal Educator Award – Dave Erler
President's Award – Chuck Roth
Marie Pirie Program Award – Earthways Environmental Education Program

2001 - Maine

Formal Educator Award – Nelson Lebo
Non-formal Educator Award – Lisa Purcell
Marie Pirie Program Award – School Nature Area Program (SNAP)

2000 - Rhode Island

Formal Educator Award – Kathy Kitteridge/Terry Monette
Non-formal Educator Award – Colleen Kelley
Marie Pirie Program Award – Mount Desert Island Water Quality

1999 - Massachusetts

Formal Educator Award – Sandra Ferland
Non-formal Educator Award – Susan Turner Moore
Marie Pirie Program Award – Project HOME

1998 - Vermont

Formal Educator Award – David Wilkins
Non-formal Educator Award – Linda Woodard
Marie Pirie Program Award – Recycle Rangers

1997 - Connecticut

Drs. Carl and Marian Rettenmeyer
Formal Educator Award – Tom Wessels

1996 - New Hampshire

Ed Henry
John Green
Thomas Tyning

1995 - Maine (NAAEE)

Faith Thayer
Maureen Oates

1994 - Rhode Island

Delia Clark
Nancy Nowak

1993 - Massachusetts

Leo Kenney
Shirley Griffin

1992 - Vermont

Jenepher Lingelbach
Michael Caduto

1991 - Connecticut

Bill Niering
Sue Craig

1990 - New Hampshire

Judy Silverberg
Ty Minton

1989 - Maine

Peter Corcoran
Ralph Lutts

1988 - Rhode Island

Janet Gould
Larry Morris

1987 - Massachusetts

John Brainerd
Peg McDaniel

1986 - Vermont

Abbott Fenn
Tom Hudspeth

1985 - Connecticut

Bob Moeller
Jeff Ferguson