South Carolina Environmental Awareness Award

The State of South Carolina is seeking nominations for an award to recognize individuals who are doing extraordinary work for the natural environment. Nominations will be accepted through November 30th, 2024. The South Carolina Forestry Commission is hosting the event for the 2024 SCEAA award.

The S.C. Environmental Awareness Award, now in its 32st year, was established by S.C. General Assembly during the 1992 legislative session to recognize outstanding contributions made toward the protection, conservation, and improvement of South Carolina’s natural resources.

Each year the public is invited to submit nominations that are then reviewed by an awards committee. In judging nominees, the committee considers excellence in innovation, leadership, and accomplishments that influence positive changes affecting the natural environment.

Members of the awards committee represent the S.C. Forestry Commission, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, S.C. Department of Natural Resources and the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.

Nomination Guidelines

Areas of accomplishment include, but are not limited to:

• Protection, conservation, or improvement of soil, water, or air
• Protection or conservation of native plants, animals, or their habitats
• Improvement of natural resource management
• Benefits to wildlife (game or non-game)
• Increased recreational or aesthetic values

Nominees must:

• Be a South Carolina resident
• Possess upstanding moral character
• Exemplify extraordinary dedication to preserving and improving the environment and natural resources of South Carolina

Criteria and Judging

Nominees for the award will be judged based on the impact of their accomplishments to protect, conserve, or improve our natural resources and environment. Specific criteria include the following:

• Degree of innovativeness, originality, or pioneering in the accomplishments
• Degree that accomplishments promote leadership in protecting the environment
• Size, scope, and impact of accomplishments
• Degree that accomplishments promote educational opportunities for the public
• Degree that accomplishments influence positive changes affecting the environment at the local, state, or national level
• Short-or long-term benefits to the environment

Nominating an Individual

All nominations must include completed nomination forms as well as written responses to address the ten (10) information requests presented below. Nominations may also include up to two photographs, no videos please. Completed nomination forms and materials should be e-mailed to hwelch@scfc.gov no later than November 30th, 2024

Description of Accomplishments

1. Summary: Provide a concise summary of the nominee’s accomplishments in the protection, conservation, or improvement of our natural resources and environment.
2. Innovative or pioneering: In what ways have the accomplishments of the nominee been innovative, original, or pioneering in the protection, conservation, or improvement of our natural resources and environment?
3. Leadership development: How have the nominee’s accomplishments promoted leadership in protecting, conserving, or improving of our natural resources and environment?
4. Financing: How were the nominee’s accomplishments financed?
5. Job related: If the nominee had paid job duties that included their noted accomplishments for protection, conservation, or improvement of our natural resources and environment, how has the nominee exceeded those job requirements?
6. Team supported: How were other people or partners involved in the work of achieving the nominee’s accomplishments?
7. Scope of impact, people: How many people have been positively affected by the nominee’s accomplishments?
8. Scope of impact, area: What geographic area(s) was covered by the nominee’s accomplishments? How are the accomplishments providing benefits at a local, state, or national level?
9. Scope of impact, time: Have the nominee’s accomplishments provided short or long-term benefits to natural resources and the environment? Please describe.
10. Public education: How have the nominee’s accomplishments promoted educational opportunities for the public (related to protecting, conserving, or improving of our natural resources and environment)

Contact

All nominations must include completed nomination forms as well as written responses to the information requests within the form. Completed nomination forms and materials should be emailed to hwelch@scfc.gov no later than November 30th, 2024.

Please contact Holly Welch at hwelch@scfc.gov or 803-667-0815 for additional information.

Previous winners of the Environmental Awareness Award include:

• 2023 - Elizabeth Vernon (E.V) Bell, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium (SC Sea Grant)
• 2021 - Dr. James Frederick, Professor and Agricultural Science Specialist, Clemson University
• 2020 - Jane Hiller, Education Director, Sonoco Recycling
• 2019 – Dr. Gloria McCutcheon, Claflin College
• 2018 – Dr. Patrick McMillan, Clemson University
• 2017 - Sean Poppy, Savannah River Ecology Lab
• 2016 – Vacant
• 2015 – Mark Madden, Environmental Educator, Charleston County PRC
• 2014 – George W. McDaniel, Ph.D., Director of Drayton Hall Plantation
• 2013 – Joseph R. Hamilton, Founder of the Quality Deer Management Association
• 2012 – Thomas Kester, Chairman and Treasurer for the Conestee Foundation
• 2011 – Dr. Patricia J. DeCoursey, Professor of Biological Sciences at USC
• 2010 – Frank S. Holleman, III, President, Naturaland Trust
• 2009 – Dr. Fred Holland, Coastal Ecologist, Charleston
• 2008 – Benjamin Ziegler, Chairman, Pee Dee Land Trust
• 2007 – Dr. Richard Porcher, Jr., Professor Emeritus, The Citadel
• 2006 – Rick Huffman, Founder, South Carolina Native Plant Society
• 2004 – John L. Knott, Jr., President, Noisette Company, North Charleston
• 2003 – Burris Family, Owners, Cypress Bay Plantation Tree Farm, Beaufort
• 2002 – Dr. Jack Turner, Director, Watershed Ecology Center, Univ. of South Carolina
• 2001 – James D. Elliott, Jr., Founder, South Carolina Center for Birds of Prey
• 2000 – Dr. Dave Hargett, Conservationist, Greenville
• 1999 – Kenneth Strickland, Environmentalist, Florence
• 1998 – Yancey A. McLeod, Jr., Environmental Educator, Eastover
• 1997 – Brad Wyche, President, Friends of the Reedy River, Greenville
• 1996 – Beaufort County Clean Water Task Force
• 1995 – Dr. Whitfield Gibbons, Senior Research Ecologist, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
• 1994 – Marion Burnside, Chairman, S.C. Department of Natural Resources
• 1993 – Dana Beach, Executive Director, SC Coastal Conservation League
• 1992 – Rudy Mancke, Naturalist, SC Educational Television