Maine Woods Forever is pleased to invite nominations for the sixth annual “Maine Youth Conservation Award.”

The Maine Youth Conservation Award (formerly the “Teddy Roosevelt Maine Conservation Award”) recognizes young people and youth organizations whose efforts are in the spirit of Roosevelt’s conservation ethic and achievements, and recognizes what Maine’s young people are doing to conserve our forest heritage, with an eye to their potential as future conservation leaders.

Theodore Roosevelt:

“The Teddy Roosevelt Maine Conservation Award honors today’s young people and the legacy of America’s most celebrated conservationist, President Theodore Roosevelt,” notes Greg Ponte, a board member of Maine Woods Forever and chairman of this effort.  “Many credit his rugged sojourns in Maine during the late 1800s with shaping his determination to conserve our natural world.”

Andrew Vietze, author of Becoming Teddy Roosevelt, concurs stating “It’s fair to say that Maine was a crucible of sorts for Roosevelt and that many of the seeds of conservation that he would go on to plant – establishing our national parks system, monuments, wildlife and recreation preserves –  were sown right here when he was an impressionable young man.”

Award Criteria:

The Teddy Roosevelt Maine Conservation Award will be given in two categories: 1) Individual youths, and 2) Youth organizations, dependent on the qualifications of nominees in each category. Recipients must demonstrate a commitment to Maine’s forests and woodlands, and whose accomplishments may include:

• Effectively working alone or with others in educating the people of Maine on the importance of conserving Maine’s forests and woodlands, large and small

• Outstanding contributions toward conserving Maine forests and woodlands

• Leadership in a local, regional or statewide project that increased awareness by the public at large of a significant issue relating to Maine’s forests and woodlands

• Educating and increasing public awareness of the heritage of the Maine Woods

• Improving the quality of life in Maine woods-dependent communities

• Fostering increased appreciation of Maine Woods resources

• Fostering stewardship of private forestland

• Fostering or supporting a conservation organization or foundation seeking to conserve large tracts of land and the indigenous wildlife

• Forming or fostering alliances between conservation organizations

• Making improvements in the quality of conservation and/or conservation education

Special attention will be paid to unsung nominees who have achieved success not otherwise recognized. Weight will be given to leadership qualities that inspire others to participate in the stewardship of our forests and woodlands.

Examples of projects considered might include: an assigned school project or an extracurricular project focused on forest land use; a conservation management program; environmental stewardship; resource management; a focus on related wildlife issues – how to maintain wildlife habitat including fauna and flora in a specific locale or region; or a current topic of statewide environmental or forest conservation significance such as the effects of industrial wind sites, easements on forest lands, mining, etc.

2018 Winners:

• Sixth Grade Science Students at Loranger Memorial School, Old Orchard Beach, studying under Science Teachers Laura Seaver-Maley and Cynthia Nye. Nominated by Team Vital Signs, Gulf of Maine Institute.

• Maine Woods Explorers, a program of the Natural Resource Education Center (NREC) in Greenville, nominated by Paul Johnson.

• Wabanaki Youth in Science (WaYS), Old Town, under the direction of program manager Tish Carr. Nominated by John Neptune.

Past winners include:

Fiona Ammerman, fourth grade student at Katahdin Elementary School nominated by Marie Robinson, Principal; Lee Academy Service Learning Team, Lee, nominated by Pat Maloney of Project Learning Tree; the Piscataquis Community Secondary School’s 9th and 10th Grade Environmental Science Class, nominated by Joanna Tarrazi, Executive Director, on behalf of the Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors & Staff; Mathias Deming, Winthrop, nominated by Jill Ippoliti on behalf of the Friends of Baxter State Park; Breaux Higgins, Bar Harbor, nominated by Charles Jacobi and Moira O’Neill of Acadia National Park; The Katahdin Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, nominated by Jim Robbins; Rangeley Region Guides & Sportsmen’s Association, Rangeley, nominated by Bill Pierce of the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum, Rangeley; and the Massabesic Middle School’s 7th grade Aroostook Team, East Waterboro, nominated by Christine Voyer, Molly Auclair and Caroline Casals of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

Qualifications for the award:

• Must involve activities within Maine

• Individual Applicants: Must be age 10 through High School (applicants older than 18 are acceptable if still attending High School)

• Youth Organization Applicants: Youth organizations whose conservation projects primarily involve youths of these ages. Note: Nomination and recommendation letters must relate directly to the organization, or a program sponsored by the organization, rather than for individual adult leaders.

Nomination Process:

Application details are provided below. A printable version may also be downloaded HERE.

Deadline for nominations: March 22, 2019

How to Submit Nominations:

Submit material by email to: TRMCAward@mainewoodsforever.org.  For questions, please send an email to TRMCAward@mainewoodsforever.org.

Award Presentations:

Awards will be announced and presented on April 19, 2019. Awardees will be invited to receive their award in person, and will be provided a brief moment to acknowledge the award and comment on their activities. Organizations should ideally identify one or more youth representatives who could accept the award on behalf of the organization, and comment on what their involvement meant to them.

Application Details

Application details are provided below. A printable version may also be downloaded HERE.

Qualifications for the award

• Must involve activities within Maine

• Individual Applicants: Must be age 10 through High School (applicants older than 18 are acceptable if still attending High School)

• Youth Organization Applicants: Youth organizations whose conservation projects primarily involve youths of these ages. Note: Nomination and recommendation letters must relate directly to the organization, or a program sponsored by the organization, rather than for individual adult leaders.

Application Material

Individual applicants are welcome to nominate themselves. In those cases, the terms “Nominee” and “Applicant” are considered the same. All nominations must include the following information:

• Nominee:

  • Full name of the nominee – individual or organization

  • Mailing address of the nominee – street, city, state, zip code

  • Phone number and e-mail address of the individual nominee, or organization contact person

  • Age of the nominee (individuals) or ages of focus if a youth organization

• Nominating person or organization (if other than the actual nominee):

  • Full name of the nominating person or organization

  • Mailing address – street, city, state, zip code

  • Phone number and e-mail address

  • Please include letter on official school or organization letterhead if possible

• References (name of a school official, teacher or organization representative who can verify the individual nominee’s accomplishments):

  • Reference’s full name

  • Mailing address – street, city, state, zip code

  • Phone number and e-mail address

  • Reference letters should be on official school or organization letterhead

• A written essay, or written essay and video, summarizing the nominee’s merits and adherence to the criteria of the award. Up to 500 words

• Essay and any supporting documentation should include details on how the Nominee/Applicant meets the award criteria. Letters of support from other individuals or groups are advisable. It shall be the responsibility of the individuals or organization making the nomination to provide proper documentation. Nominations without proper documentation may not be considered

• The Essay and supporting documentation might elaborate on any of the following:

  • How the nominee’s work promotes the values and appreciation for Maine’s woods and forests

  • Whether the nominee has made a significant contribution toward conserving Maine forests and woodlands

  • How the nominee fostered or supported a conservation organization or foundation seeking to conserve large tracts of land and the indigenous wildlife

  • How the nominee’s efforts helped educate the general public about the value of conserving Maine’s forested areas

  • How the nominee form or fostered alliances between conservation organizations

  • The nominee’s leadership in inspiring others to replicate their works

  • Significant efforts the nominee has made to share his/her conservation ethics and techniques with others

  • Whether the nominee’s efforts been completed themselves or with the help of others

  • If the nominee had assistance, did the nominee take a leadership role?

  • Is the nominee’s effort a novel, innovative, or newly applied approach to conservation?

  • Has the nominee been recognized for their conservation efforts prior to applying?

  • Has the nominee overcome a challenge in order to be successful?

  • Did the nominee’s efforts result in other youth getting into the Maine woods?

  • Did the nominee’s efforts teach other youth about the Maine woods?

  • Did the nominee’s effort result in a one-time impact or is it longer lasting?

Application Process:

• Deadline for Nominations: March 22, 2019)

• Only one nominee per submission

• Nominations will be accepted by e-mail (TRMCAward@mainewoodsforever.org) along with a MS Word, rtf, pdf or text (.txt) Attachment

• Letters of support for nominations may be included in the nomination. We will also accept them directly from the nominator by e-mail (TRMCAward@mainewoodsforever.org). Please be certain that the nominee’s name is included

• Nominations must be received by: March 22, 2019)

• Nominations will be reviewed by the Maine Woods Forever Review Committee

• Awards will be announced on April 19, 2019

• Award Presentations: Awards will be presented on April 19, 2019. Awardees will be invited to receive their award in person, and will be provided a brief moment to acknowledge the award and comment on their activities. Organizations should ideally identify one or more youth representatives who could accept the award on behalf of the organization, and comment on what their involvement meant to them.

Deadline for Nominations: March 22, 2019)

How to Submit Nominations:

Submit material by email to: TRMCAward@mainewoodsforever.org. For questions, please send an email to: TRMCAward@mainewoodsforever.org.