1st Annual Environmental Stewardship Awards Luncheon
Explore Ecology (EE) held its 1st Annual Environmental Stewardship Awards Luncheon fundraiser at the Cabrillo Pavilion on Thursday, April 17. The luncheon comes as the next level in the humble nonprofit’s work since establishing the awards in 2016. EE Executive Director Lindsay Johnson and Marketing/Communications Director Jill Cloutier are the founders of the annual awards, which previously coincided with the annual SB Earth Day event.
EE seeks to recognize those in SB County, “who promote environmental stewardship through education and action, who initiate positive change, and inspire their peers and colleagues.” The award nominations are submitted from SB County residents for free online directly to EE. This year there were over 50 nominations, which Cloutier attributes both to increased awareness of environmental work being done locally, and an increase of that work. The award plaques were made by hand by Cloutier and her team using Art from Scrap materials.
The program commenced with Johnson welcoming the guests, thanking the sponsors and all the environmental stewards for their work. She introduced Cloutier who spoke briefly about the history and significance of the awards. Keynote speaker was Mary Kahn, PhD who is in her first year as Superintendent of the Goleta Union School District. Kahn has 25 years in education. She talked about the importance of environmental education, and expressed gratitude for “the impact of our community partners who help our students to learn about the environment and work with our teachers.” She shared the experiences of the schools in her district with EE’s programs, and the work being done – especially in creating student gardens that act as a resource of food, mental health and community – saying, “Student gardens provide a social-emotional connection for the students; a way to choose a different recess experience by walking through the gardens, and a place to reset and process their emotions. The gardens also connect over generations. All schools in the district have composts and sustainable utensil options this year.” Following her speech, the 2025 awards were presented.
The 2025 Teacher Award honors the achievements of teachers or support staff who have made significant contributions to educating and impacting youth about the environment and who have inspired their class and school through teaching and action. The 2025 winners are:
Montecito Union School 6th Grade teachers Kim Berman and Danielle Weill for their interdisciplinary work with students on climate change and student activism with meaningful action projects, incorporating STEAM.
Monroe Elementary School teacher Nancy Morris for 25 years of programs in environmental education, garden, and watershed.
El Camino Junior High teacher Marie Chavis for the Ocean Club and partnering with MERITO Foundation where her students collected data for NOAA’s database.
La Colina Junior High teacher Chris Hamman for creating – from a patch of unused land just outside his classroom – a living nature lab where he teaches his students about ecosystems.
SB Charter School staff Wendy Kanter for 32 years teaching about birds and nature.
Canalino Elementary School teacher Martha Rugg for teaching sustainability in her after school garden.
The Student Award goes to students who have committed their time to care for the environment in a significant way. The 2025 winners are:
Bodhi Crawford, an 8-year-old who is the youngest volunteer and Site Captain for California Coastal Cleanup Day at Jalama Beach.
Liz Loeza founded her own organization, Plant the Next Tree, and led a community cleanup at SB Community Academy.
Jackson Simmons-Furlati,who created a project with the Dos Pueblos Environmental Club to spearhead the fundraising and installation of hydroponic towers to grow lettuce used in the cafeteria. He also works with a U.N. – accredited student group on single use plastic. The group is attending the 2025 U.N. Ocean Conference, where he will address growing food where it is needed, and launching a micro-grant program to help students follow his example at their schools.
Rowan Smith, leader and role model for SB Middle School’s Environmental Action Club.
The Class or Club Award honors a class or school club that has raised awareness, protected the environment, and influenced their school community. The 2025 winners are:
Ashley Griffin’s Goleta Family School Kindergarten and First Grade class, who received a $4,000 grant for creating an outdoor learning area using native plants and installed a rain barrel for watering.
The Sustainable Future Club at San Marcos High School who, among other conservation efforts aimed at shepherding and storing rainwater, restored an abandoned drainage culvert on their campus and planted 100 trees. The area now provides a habitat for birds, beneficial insects and more.
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