CBT wins environmental award

Directors of the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network present Columbia Basin Trust with the 2014 Award of Excellence in Environmental Education and Communication. In photo back (left to right) Susie MacDonald, Wild Voices for Kids Program Manager; Erika Momeyer, Director, CBEEN; Yann Loranger, Director, CBEEN; Neil Muth President and CEO, Columbia Basin Trust; Ingrid Liepa, Vice-Chair, CBEEN; Dave Hillary, Board member, CBEEN; Duncan Whittick, Executive Director, CBEEN. Front (left to right) Kim Deane, Director, Columbia Basin Trust, Laurie Paige, Vice-Chair, Columbia Basin Trust; Greg Deck, Chair, Columbia Basin Trust; Gillian Cooper, Chair, CBEEN; Sonja Seher, Wild Voices for Kids Program Assistant. Photo courtesy of the Columbia Basin Trust
Directors of the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network present Columbia Basin Trust with the 2014 Award of Excellence in Environmental Education and Communication. In photo back (left to right) Susie MacDonald, Wild Voices for Kids Program Manager; Erika Momeyer, Director, CBEEN; Yann Loranger, Director, CBEEN; Neil Muth President and CEO, Columbia Basin Trust; Ingrid Liepa, Vice-Chair, CBEEN; Dave Hillary, Board member, CBEEN; Duncan Whittick, Executive Director, CBEEN. Front (left to right) Kim Deane, Director, Columbia Basin Trust, Laurie Paige, Vice-Chair, Columbia Basin Trust; Greg Deck, Chair, Columbia Basin Trust; Gillian Cooper, Chair, CBEEN; Sonja Seher, Wild Voices for Kids Program Assistant. Photo courtesy of the Columbia Basin Trust

Throughout the Columbia Basin, many educators, volunteers, community groups and organizations dedicate themselves to enhancing environmental well being through education. As a supporter of these efforts, Columbia Basin Trust has earned an award from the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication. It received the 2014 Award of Excellence in Environmental Education and Communication.

A statement from the CBT said the award was presented to the Trust by the nominating organization Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) at the Environmental Education Soiree & Expo held in Creston on November 28.

“We were both surprised and humbled by this recognition,” Trust CEO Neil Muth said in the statement. “This achievement would not be possible without the incredibly committed and passionate educators, volunteers, community groups and organizations in the region, like CBEEN, that help us deliver on our mandate to enhance environmental well-being in the Basin. We accept this award on behalf of all of our environmental partners.”

For his part, CBEEN Executive Director Duncan Whittick said the CBT was nominated to “recognize its long-term commitment to environmental education.”

“Since its inception, the Trust has provided critical capacity for key environmental education and stewardship projects,” he said in the statement. “As a result, we wanted to recognize the Trust for its important role in allowing a small area of Canada to become a national model for success. We also wanted to recognize the Trust’s strong vision for environmental education which is showcased in their new Environmental Strategic Plan. This will allow for the continued development of high-quality learning opportunities for residents of the Basin.”

Over the past 20 years, the Trust has invested over $5 million in 185 environmental education projects across the region, including the following four major education programs:

  1. Wild Voices for Kids, delivered by CBEEN
  2. Education in the Wild, delivered by Wildsight
  3. Know Your Watershed, delivered by Wildsight
  4. Wildsafe BC, delivered by BC Conservation Foundation

Learn more at cbt.org/environmentaleducation.

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