BALTIMORE, MD (May 8, 2012) - The Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Petroleum Council and Maryland Department of Natural Resources in a ceremony held last evening, presented the 35th annual Tawes Awards for a Clean Environment to Catonsville Elementary School in Baltimore County and Kolby Noble, a fifth-grade teacher from Princess Anne Elementary School in Somerset County. Stephen Reid of the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) was honored with the 7th annual James B. Coulter Award.
| More Information |
| The awards are co-sponsored by MDE, the MD Petroleum Council and DNR to recognize youth, adults, and private and public organizations involved in the restoration and protection of Maryland’s natural resources. The Tawes award, given to both adult and youth awardees, is named in honor of J. Millard Tawes, governor of Maryland from 1959 to 1967 and first secretary of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The James B. Coulter Award, named after Maryland’s second DNR Secretary, acknowledges environmental contributions by a government employee. |
| Winner Information |
Catonsville Elementary School: Tawes Youth Award
Catonsville Elementary School in Baltimore County hosted an environmental festival that brought together local businesses, organizations, State agencies and families to learn about and promote environmental awareness. While working to achieve Maryland Green School status, Catonsville Elementary students are encouraged to take earth-healthy transportation such as walking or bicycling on the second Wednesday of each month and to recycle. Students also have taken part in plantings of native species of vegetation on school grounds.
Kolby Noble: Tawes Adult Award
Kolby Noble is a fifth grade teacher at Princess Anne Elementary School in Somerset County. This year, Kolby and nine of her students entered the Disney Planet Challenge, a project-based learning environmental competition that teaches children about science and conservation while empowering them to make a positive impact on their communities and planet. Kolby and her students, in conjunction with DNR, chose to improve the Bay’s health through oyster gardening. The students are raising 1,000 baby oysters to maturity at Janes Island State Park in Somerset County. Upon completion of the project, the oysters will be relocated to the first official and protected oyster reef at the park. Taking their project one step further, Kolbly and her students set up a "Bayraiser" webpage, raising more than $350 that will be donated to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The money will go towards building oyster reefs in the Bay.
Stephen Reid: James B. Coulter Award
Stephen Reid is an engineer and Project Manager in the Environmental Engineering Section of the Park Development Division of M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks. He has completed several projects designed to enhance the environment in Montgomery County. As project manager for the Maydale Conservation Park Stream Restoration Project in Colesville, Stephen was responsible for replacing a failing fish ladder to promote fish migration upstream, stabilizing eroded stream banks and replacing multiple pedestrian trail stream crossings with a single crossing. He was also involved in the dredging of Lake Needwood in Rock Creek Regional Park and restoring streams in Northwest Golf Course in Silver Spring.
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| Quotes |
“We are proud to honor these environmental heroes for giving their time and talents to protect our State’s precious resources and the Chesapeake Bay. Through their actions, they not only help preserve the air, water and land that we share, but also make their communities and Maryland a better place to live."
--Robert M. Summers, Secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment |
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See Tawes award event photos on our Flickr page. |
| MDE Mission |
| Our mission is to protect and restore the quality of Maryland's air, water and land resources, while fostering smart growth, a thriving and sustainable economy and healthy communities. |
