Home
Events
Past Events
2021 Celebrating Women in Conservation Awards

Each year, PennFuture honors the accomplishments of outstanding women conservationists in Pennsylvania. The 2021 Celebrating Women in Conservation Awards are designed to recognize excellence in conservation and to forge a stronger network of women who are deeply committed to working to protect Pennsylvania’s environment.

Since its inception in 2015, this event has traveled around the state to different communities to ensure recognition of local leaders, volunteers, and career professionals. We are pleased to bring the 2021 event to Northeastern Pennsylvania.

SAVE THE DATE:

NextEra Energy Resources Presents PennFuture's Celebrating Women in Conservation Awards Event

Thursday, Sept. 9th, 2021 -6pm

This will be a virtual/live hybrid online event.

To buy tickets for this event, please click here!

We are so pleased to announce the names of the 11 women being recognized this year by PennFuture's Women in Conservation Awards, Celebrating women in NEPA and the Lehigh Valley! Please Congratulate our 2021 Honorees!

Young Woman of Conservation Leadership: Hannah Burke, Schuylkill County

A Senior at Blue Mountain Area High School, CEO of Best Buds All Natural Gardening - a conservation business she founded in 2017, Schuylkill Haven Community Garden Manager, and Vice President of the Schuylkill County 4-H teen council. Read more about Hannah here!

Woman of the Environmental Arts: Kelly Finan, Susquehanna County

Science Illustrator/Designer – clients include The Children’s Discovery Museum, Clean Oceans International, Frost Museum of Science, Harvard University, The National Aquarium in Baltimore, The Nature Conservancy, Northeast Wilderness Trust, & Yosemite National Park. Read more about Kelly here!

Woman of Environmental Media, Marketing, and Communications: Meg McGuire

Founder and publisher of the Delaware Currents an online news project dedicated to telling the story of the Delaware River from its headwaters to where it meets the ocean, regular guest on WJFF’s program “Making Waves.” Read more about Meg here!

Woman of the Watershed: Elissa Garofalo, Carbon County

Executive Director for the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Board of Directors member of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas. Read more about Elissa here!

Woman of Environmental Justice: Rashida Lovely, Lackawanna County

Created the "Science in the Summer" programs for underprivileged families and promotes teaching black/ brown / underserved communities how to value the environment by incorporating daily “resource sustaining” practices. Read more about Rashida here!

Woman of Climate and Renewable Energy: Diana Dakey, Lackawanna County

Volunteer advocate for the environment and good government, through Protect Northern PA, PennFuture, League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County, Open Primaries PA Coalition, and Fair Districts PA. Read more about Diana here!

Woman of Environmental Education: Dr. Jessica Nolan, Lackawanna County

Professor of Conservation Psychology and Director of the Environmental Studies Concentration at the University of Scranton, Founder of Green Drinks Scranton. Read more about Jessica here!

Woman of Lifetime Achievement in Conservation: Marian Keegan, Pike County

President of Grey Towers Heritage Association, Director of Community Conservation at Hemlock Farms Community Association, lead formation fo Pocono Source Water Protection Collaborative, co-authored “Standards of Forestry Practice in Pennsylvania,” contributing author of “Deer Management for Forest Landowners and Managers," graduate of Duke University School of the Environment. Read more about Marian here!

Woman of Lifetime Achievement in Conservation: Dr. Laurie Goodrich, Schuylkill County

Leads Hawk Mountain Sanctuary’s local-to-global research and professional training programs as its Sarkis Acopian Director of Conservation Science, co-published Hawk Mountain’s first scientific paper on raptor migration trends, co-wrote the Hawk Mountain Land Management Plan, and helped to develop the nationally award-winning Raptor Population Index Project. She helped establish the first raptor migration monitoring and conservation site in Mexico which records more than 4 million migratory hawks each autumn. Read more about Laurie here!

Woman of Lifetime Achievement in Conservation: Heidi Secord, Monroe County

State President and Board Chair of the Pennsylvania Farmers Union, Board member of the National Farmers Union, former board member for the Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations, PASA Sustainable Agriculture and Monroe County Conservation District, Owner/Operator of Josie Porter Farm. Recently nominated for State Conservation Commission by Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary Redding. Read more about Heidi here!

Posthumous Woman of Lifetime Achievement in Conservation: Louise Dunlap (1946-2021)

Louise was a vital liaison between the PA Abandoned Mine Land Campaign, legislators, and staffers in Washington DC who helped to advance the Reauthorization of the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund and the RECLAIM Act. She helped found the Environmental Policy Center (EPC) in 1972. She served on the boards of the League of Conservation Voters, the Clean Water Fund, Scenic America, the Environmental Policy Institute and the National Clean Air Coalition, while holding posts with the National Parks Conservation Association and Friends of the Earth. Read more about Louise here!

Thank you to our amazing sponsors of this year's event!